Clearly, how thin you are is no marker of health or fitness. I've pretty much gone my whole life doing pretty minimal amounts of physical activity and, thanks to a fast metabolism, have never really suffered from it. However, now that I'm in school and am forced to take Phys. Ed. classes, it's really apparent that I'm out of shape. Sure, I'm taking a pretty heavy class (Combative Fitness), but I'm somehow convinced that I'm one of the only people in my class to feel it as much as I do. Why? It's no secret that the older you get the longer it takes you to recover from physical trauma. "Trauma" seems like a heavy word, but bear in mind that any time you tear a muscle (which is essential to muscle growth), it's a form of trauma. So if you work out and then "feel it" the next day, you've traumatized your muscles, so to speak. This isn't a bad thing at all, it's just that younger bodies are quicker to heal--it's a fact.
This brings me to the point of this whole blog entry, which is to "announce" (or simply to put into words, thus making it more real for myself) the beginning of a commitment to fitness. Now, I don't aspire to become a health ambassador like Joanne MacLeod or Hal Johnson (both should be mini-celebs to most Canadians over the age of…um…of a certain age), because it's really just a personal commitment that I feel might become more real if I "put it out there". This relates to me being a student because, well, as a student, I can benefit from these really cool, free things called clubs! Oh yeah, mama's joining a martial arts club! Eek!
A school friend of mine happens to be some kind of MMA nut, and he is pretty much the reason for my signing up. He had me go check out one of their "meetings", and after having met a few of the participants and seen the different types of martial arts practiced there, I've decided to give it a go. I've always been drawn to martial arts, but stayed away because I didn't believe that you could casually do it. My brief foray into Aikido, however, has taught me that it's still amazingly fun, even if you don't aspire to become a pro. I think that the health benefits are numerous (especially in the higher-impact, cardio-intensive arts), as are the psychological benefits (higher self-confidence, better mind+body connection, not to mention how cool it is to meet new people and be inspired by better athletes.)
*Note: we're doing wrestling now, and although I don't enjoy it as much as Aikido, it has brought out that feeling you get when you're a kid and you're wrestling around for fun. This makes for fun, plus we're learning actual "moves", so this takes "playing" to another level. No chair-throwing; that's WWF stuff...
I've never stuck to any kind of exercise "regime" in my life, so I suspect that this might be a bit of a challenge for me (psychologically, as well as physically). But honestly, I'm convinced that it will be worth it in the end. (Note the optimistic use of "will" instead of "might be"?)
Hal Johnson & Johanne MacLeod: Good luck!
Me: Thanks, guys!
