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Grow up and get out of shape!
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4/28/2008
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Some 20 years ago I happened to run into the captain of my high school swimming team. We were both in our 30s at the time. I was still in fairly good shape at the time ... I was active in Masters' swimming and was doing a lot of bicycling. I had yet to fall into the sedentary rut that would lead to my weight problem. In high school, I had never been able to hold a candle to my teammate, but it was evident that this once slim and toned athlete had already become noticeably paunchy.
Although I already knew the answer just from looking at him, I asked him if he had kept up with swimming. He snickered and shook his head as if that were the most ridiculous question he had ever heard. I went on to tell him that I was involved in Masters' swimming. "Oh yeah?" he responded, clearly unimpressed. Implicit in his response was an unspoken "Grow up!" Clearly, to him, swimming didn't count for anything anymore. Now that his glory days of being a high school sports star were behind him, it was time to move on and devote all his time to his career, and keeping himself in shape was no longer a priority.
Despite the record number of people joining gyms and exercising, that's still the attitude that we fitness advocates face. Somehow most Americans have the perception that exercise is childish and frivolous, while being sedentary is viewed the sign of a mature and responsible adult. In some quarters, being overweight is seen as a sign of prosperity.
I'm reminded of an Off-Broadway show I saw a while back, Stewart Parker's "Spokesong." The central character is a bike shop owner and an advocate of bicycle transportation. He approaches his city fathers with a plan to make bicycles a major part of the community's transportation plan. Following the meeting, he reports that the officials agreed that bicycling is an efficient, economical, clean, environmentally friendly form of transportation ... "But it's funny!''
Too many Americans see exercise that way ... it's funny! But there are worse things than being funny. Obesity, hypertension, depression and diabetes aren't funny. We need to convince our fellow Americans that working 18-hour days and leaving no time to attend to their personal health isn't responsible in the long run.
Sadly, not long after my encounter with my old teammate I began my descent on that slippery slope that led to my weight problem. Fortunately I eventually had the midlife crisis that led me to start working out and get back in shape. I can only hope that my teammate had his own midlife crisis before it was too late.
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weight loss, exercise, swimming
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