Now let me just preface with the disclaimer: if you’ve exercised a few days in a row with intense efforts and you want to take a day off, GO FOR IT. This blog is more referring to the societal connotation we have with some things like taking a shower or brushing your teeth, but when it comes to exercise that’s far from where we’re at.
NOBODY forgets to shower for one week straight, and if you do, I’m more than sure the people that you work with aren’t very friendly toward you. I’m sure you’ve never gone one week without brushing your teeth. There’s a reason those things are recommended daily. They are a necessity for good hygiene. Well, exercise should fall into that same category. I know what the surgeon general recommends, and sure, for some that’s a good start. The problem with that recommendation is that it should be applied to the fringes of society, not the whole.
Thirty to forty-five minutes of walking isn’t going to do anything for 85% of our population. And yet nobody bats an eye if you go one week without exercise. We created a long-lasting campaign against smoking, and we started making sure we wore seatbelts anytime we were in the car. I’m not sure if we’ll ever turn the corner as a country on our exercise standards, but we can definitely start by having some self-awareness. Yes, it’s a problem if you can’t deadlift your body weight. Yes, it’s an issue if you can’t run one mile under 15 minutes. Yes, it’s an issue if you can’t do 10 push-ups or 1 strict pull-up. If you fall into any of these categories you need to reframe your thinking. Exercise shouldn’t be something you feel like is “just a good idea”. It should be a necessity. It should be right there with taking a shower every day and brushing your teeth every day.
We are now in a COVID world. Political thoughts on the matter are irrelevant. The world is going to be different moving forward and that’s just a fact. Hospitals and health care are going to be different as well. People with pre-existing conditions are going to be taken care of first. Your health is only as reliable as you make it. Were you really prioritizing exercise or were you just getting it in occasionally? How healthy are you really? If you aren’t sure, go get some blood work done. The numbers don’t lie. Change your mindset. You wouldn’t forget to brush your teeth before bed. Be sure you’ve exercised before bed as well.
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