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C. C. Cedras author, diet, fitness, humor, Let's Move!, Michelle Obama, music video, Puppies, random thoughts
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This is Thursday, so I’m doing everything in my Activeweah. Worked out with my trainer, went to the hardware store, filled up the gas tank – made my pilgrimage to Starbucks with the puppies – will run into town after this blog post to pick up my farm-raised chickens that were still on the hoof yesterday.
My trainer and I were talking this morning (“If you’re talking, I know you’re breathing,” she says) while I did seated cat-and-cow. I mentioned how pretty much everyone I know has some kind of fitness regime going (not one is an athlete, although quite a few are into sports such as tennis, golf, running, biking), lots of us wear some kind of tracker on our arm, we have trainers and fitness club memberships, we wax and wane on watching our diets. I can attest that my two co-writers here at Stilettos, Stoli and Scribbles are way more conscientious about what they eat than I am. They are constantly sharing fabulous, healthy recipes.
Anyway, my trainer observed that, now that we don’t have to cultivate, grow and harvest our own food (again, K. R. Brorman, is an exception living as she does in the middle of a huge, family-run agricultural enterprise), and don’t have to saddle up or harness our primary means of transportation to get from Point A to Point B anymore, nearly all of us are sedentary in the extreme. Even those of you who get out and run or exercise for an hour a day are only really, physically active for about four percent of your life. And I’m nowhere near that level of activity.
Still, what we are doing is better than nothing, right? Some people even really enjoy it.
From President John Kennedy’s school fitness challenge initiated in the 1960s to FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” program, there has been a cultural emphasis in the US on working on and maintaining physical fitness and health for all of my lifetime. Who remembers having to wash out your gym clothes on Sunday nights?
I hated PE class. I was an 85-pound weakling in junior high (what we now call middle school) and couldn’t do one pull-up, or free throw to save myself.
Do you think we have an ingrained awareness and knowledge of, even interest in, physical health and fitness now? Is it really part of our culture, even if we don’t engage ourselves in healthier habits? Does it come from our nurture as children and young adults, or do you think the media’s obsession with body image is a driver? Do you love to strap on your Nikes and take to the trails?
Me, I’d rather just play with puppies.
Gratuitous pic of wee Sophie being cute.
C C Cedras
K R Brorman
S A Young
9 Comments
June 23, 2016 at 11:38 am
I do think our culture remains obsessed with body image: the good, the bad and the ugly. I get a kick out of keeping track of my steps, especially when the tracker buzzes when I’ve met my daily goal and it does remind me to move more than I probably would have before I started wearing it, but I just want to be “healthy”. Personally, I’d rather play with puppies, too!
June 23, 2016 at 1:44 pm
My new FitBit Alta buzzes at 50 min past the hour if I haven’t put in 250 steps for the hour yet. When I meet my daily goal it’s a party on my arm! 🎉🎉🎉 You do get hooked on the “bzzz”!
June 23, 2016 at 1:33 pm
You are right about people being way more sedentary than they used to be. We did a lot of PE at school, and then I had to walk to and from buses, so that used to keep me fairly trim. The only real walking I do now is with my dog, as it isn’t safe on your own here.
I think today’s culture is obsessed with image, which is not necessarily the same thing as being healthy. I try to be healthy, strong and fit – saves on doctors bills!
But – that is one Very cute photo of your puppy! 🙂
June 23, 2016 at 1:46 pm
I really hate that you can’t feel safe out walking on your own. I remember things were heading that way when we visited SA many years ago, but it was still mainly around J-burg. The Cape was still safe-ish. Still, such a beautiful part of the world you get to live in!
June 23, 2016 at 1:59 pm
People do walk around on their own here – just I feel much safer with my dog! 🙂
June 23, 2016 at 2:13 pm
Ah, I understand what you mean. I’m a bit leery walking about on my own property (unarmed, that is), but that’s mainly because of bears, bobcats and coyotes in packs.
June 23, 2016 at 5:37 pm
I am not a fan of exercise just for the sake of it – but I do it because (although I hate to admit it) it does make me feel better. I also take my dogs out walking with me but as they are all tiny I don’t know that they would be much help against bears, bobcats and coyotes! (Although Molly would make sure they knew what she thought of them the whole time she was running away. . .)
June 23, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Hahaha, no, Fergus would be more in the way of a snack for some of the natives on this mountain. I’m more likely to be protective of HIM than myself.