Exercise Is A Gift, Not A Punishment

There seems to be a growing trend of former Navy Seals who are now writing books, giving talks, etc.

I’ve read a few of these books this year, and I have to say they have not been good. Here’s what I think is happening:

Navy Seal training is devised to produce the best soldiers. However, being the best soldier does not mean a person has great knowledge that can be applied to other areas. Just as if a person is a great actor or a great chemist - it doesn’t mean their expertise spills over into other areas.

A large part of the Navy Seals training is the ability to absorb physical punishment. What I don’t like is how this gets carried over to exercise philosophy.

Punishing yourself physically is not a great long-term strategy for health. I’m active every day and in no way is this a “punishment”.

In my view, it’s actually the opposite: movement is a gift. With the aging process, you never know how long your physical capabilities will hold up.

I’m looking to move and enjoy the gift of exercise as long as I can.

Bored and Online

From this study:

“The current study supports the growing body of literature suggesting that using social networking sites to alleviate boredom and socially connect, may place individuals at increased risk for developing pathological tendencies and patterns of behavior towards social networking sites.”

The Goal of Exercise is to Keep Exercising

In the short-term, exercise can be a tool to build muscle or reduce fat. But for a person to continue exercising over the long-term, it has to be enjoyable in my view.

Said differently, the goal of any exercise session is that it gets you to come back next time.

I still go out and run 2-3 times a week the same as I did 20 years ago. Yes, I want to be healthy, but I exercise primarily because I enjoy the exercise sessions themselves.

Do whatever you like as long as it is enjoyable. Enjoyment trumps all in the long-run.

Substack

I’ve come across some writing on Substack that is really well-done, much better than the low bar set by mainstream publishers. I surely would have used Substack or something similar back when I was blogging more frequently.