In control

[clevermanka]

I was talking with a friend lately about willpower and living healthfully. I also recently had a conversation with my mother where she admitted--for the first time--that a lifetime of bad food choices and unhealthy habits are the major contributors to her poor health--poor health and physical pain that she might not ever overcome.

I've been told by some (hi, roya_spirit!) that I have near-inhuman willpower. I don't know about that. I might have a lot of willpower, but I think mostly it's just that I know (I don't "believe"--I know) that I am in control of my body. My body's laziness, cravings, and other unhealthful desires don't control me. I might cave in to them sometimes. Life's too short to be strict all the time. But usually I treat my body, not as a temple, but as a machine that carries my brain around and does for me what I want it to do.

Within reason, of course. I'm not going to ask my body to run a marathon tomorrow, or even stay up for 24 hours in a row. I figure if I play fair with my body, my body learns to play fair with me. I'm not going to ask things of it that I know it cannot do. In return, I expect it to do whatever I (reasonably) ask, and accept my demands when I start pushing a little harder.

After having this conversation roll around in my head for a day or two, I gave my friend this advice, and here it is for anyone else who might be interested in control over his or her physical self, especially in regards to exercise:

Make a commitment to yourself to be fully aware of your body and in control of your body for twenty minutes a day. During those twenty minutes, make your body work for you. Make it work hard! And when the twenty minutes are up, don't reward it with unhealthy food. In fact, don't reward it at all. After all, it was only doing was it was designed to do in the first place. You're just reminding it of the fact.

Comments

[renniemom.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

20 minutes a day. I can do that.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I'm happy I could inspire you to action. I look forward to hearing about your successful efforts!

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

This is SO timely for me. Thank you for sharing.

I have also listed "lydia's always right" as an interest. :)

xo

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Must start the femfalatron work out. 20 min tomorrow I mean it.

[dvicci.livejournal.com]

This is an amazing post. Very well put, all of it. Thank you.

hunh?

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

If by femfetaleatron workout you mean the workout I gave c-red, I commend your spirit. For you though, I would recommend something slightly different... The regimen I worked out for her is not exactly generic, and although you could get great results from it, I think you could optimize your results with some different emphasis. After all, I imagine your goals are different from hers. I'll be out at faire on Sat, at da' booth. Talk to me then.

Re: hunh?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I agree. As I mentioned, those exercises are designed for a lot of the movement and energy I need for dance. I didn't expect you'd take them as a workout that would be good for you, but rather as a suggestion of a style of workout. I'm sorry if I mislead you.

Also, that workout takes more than twenty minutes, what with warming up and *serious* stretching out afterwards. I allot about 40 minutes for my exercise time.

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

Hear, Hear! Even 4 minutes a day can change your life. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of knowing that you have made your self just that little bit stronger or faster or more effective in the world. It is odd the extent people will go to for indulgence in something bad for them when they could just as easily (or expensively) indulge in something good.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you. This means a lot to me, coming from someone whom I've always admired for her drive and motivation.

*happy wiggle*!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. It's a great thing when I can do even a teeny-tiny thing that might encourage friends to take steps to live longer.

And: Heeeee! =D

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Cool. Thank you for saying so. You know, if we keep it up, we're gonna look better than we did when we met each other! (edit: which, do you realize, was twelve years ago???)

Watch out, world.

Re: hunh?

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Oh awesome, I will, I might even learn to spell your LJ, naw...

[thefox-rb.livejournal.com]

It's been rolling around in my head as well...and that viewpoint makes complete sense to me, being the control freak I can be sometimes. I'm glad you posted this. It has really helped and been taken to heart. You'll see. ;)

xoxo

r.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It pleases me very much to know I can help inspire people to to wonderful things for themselves. *hug* to you!