Hit the Road

Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 236 – Hit the Road

Hit the Road (11-10-08)

A friend, who knows my passion for fitness, sent me an funny list of questions and answers that brought a few smiles to my face because I truly get the impression that some people actually think this way. Let me give you just one example. The first question asks, “Is exercise good for you?” The amusing answer is “Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer. That's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.” I got a good laugh out of that one, because I know people who rationalize their inactivity in just such terms.

Now, it may not be the idea about the finite number of heartbeats, but it is a familiar anthem and I am sure you have heard one or all of the variations. Suffice it to say that some people see anything that raises their heart rate, promotes a bout of heavy breathing or causes them to break a sweat as detrimental to their health and wellbeing. After all, these things are not normal occurrences in their lives and must surely take a toll.

The amusing, if twisted, rationale of comparing the body to an automobile is actually closer to the mark than you might think. For example, what if I own a car and use it for short hops to the store, never take it out on the highway, and fill it with cheap gasoline. And, because I use it so infrequently, I rarely take it in for an oil change or a tune-up, or any regular maintenance. This sucker is going to last me forever, right?

On the other hand, what if my car is used for highway driving, and I take it out on the road a few times a year for a long trip. I keep it filled with a good recommended grade of gasoline, change the oil frequently, as well as getting regular tune-ups and maintenance. There is a better than good chance that this baby is going to last just as long, if not longer. And, you know what? I have actually gone somewhere with it.

Like the first ever-so-cautious car owner, some people are content with using their body at the basic minimum. A few short trips a day, perhaps to the refrigerator, keep it parked on the sofa, and don’t exert it. At the same time, they may ignore giving that body the right grade of fuel with poor nutrition. And, of course, there is no maintenance plan for keeping muscles, bones, joints and heart in good working order.

I think I much rather prefer to treat my body like that second car owner and get out on the road and make a few long trips. I like to rev the engine once in a while and watch the tachometer needle climb a bit. I will give my body some decent fuel and provide regular maintenance to make sure I am in good working order and will stay that way for a long time to come. And, what’s more, I will have actually taken it somewhere, beyond what I thought was possible.

So if someone ever poses the question about why you work out or asks if exercise is good for you, why not just tell them to hit the road.
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Copyright 2004-2008 John R. Gesselberty. Mahler's Monday Morning Motivators (MMMM) may not be copied or used without permission of the author. All rights reserved.