The Razor's Edge
April 18th 2007 14:13
In a recent post I touched upon the topic of exercise as obsessive behavior. Let me burden my regular readers with a little repetition: The state of the human race is such that the greatest majority of people will never undertake a long term fitness program. Of those who do exercise there are a certain percentage who are doing it from what are obsessive motivations. Should such exercisers be confronted with evidence that their chosen exercise is not particularly effective and likely to cause long term difficulties, they will find it nigh onto impossible to abandon it.
The key to long term success in a fitness program is to be able to approach it with an attitude that lies between the extremes- a healthy attitude. This may be more difficult than its simple statement may indicate. The fact is that someone who is going to be successful on a long term fitness program is going to be on the razor's edge between ambition and compulsion.
Let me illustrate. Arnold Schwarzeneggar once said that in order to achieve something one must decide how much pain he/she is willing to endure. Yet on the front of any popular self improvement magazine the headline is something like,"You can walk off 200 lbs and it won't be a burden,because we have discovered a new way of walking which is easier and more productive than the standard walk." Notice the contrast? One is about the extreme cost of something that is going to be neither convenient or fun and the other is the assertion that a great achievement can be ours with a much smaller cost.
To pursue fitness and actually achieve it you are going to have to disregard the "easy as pie" headlines, which are sure to sell magazines and not so certain to achieve fitness. By the same token you are going to have to soberly face the inconvenience and exertion involved without going over the edge into serious obsessiveness. Look around the gym at any given time and you will no doubt see people who have not succeeded in either. Some are likely following the easiest system they can find-whether consciously or not- and will never really get a level of fitness. Others are too actively involved to be emotionally healthy about it.
I suggest that a business-like approach is the best way to achieve the promise of fitness. Make a rational commitment to doing something measurable,decide on the amount of effort and time you think it will take, and then soldier through it, fully expecting days when it is really enjoyable and days when it is not. Be ready to alter your regimen whenever you feel that the results are not what you expected. You may be too tired; you will cut back. You may feel like you are headed in the right direction and a little more commitment is going to be worth it.
Your will be on the razor's edge,trying to be committed without obsessing. This is the only way to succeed and enjoy it at the same time. Your servant,as always.
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