Hey all. I was thinking about this yesterday but it just formed into a thread idea about an hour ago.

As a culture, our lives our very physically... inhibited. I remember reading just the other day in a great book called "Brain Rules" that wild animals generally have brains 10-25% bigger than domestic ones simply because their brains have to constantly be active scanning their surroundings, taking in all sorts of information about predators, prey, mating opportunities, threats, etc. whereas domestic animals can simply lay around and get fat.

The parallel I'd imagine I'd see if I scanned a cross-section (double meaning) of brains from today's modern culture is probably a shrinkage in many of the physical and dexterious parts of the brain. These would probably big larger in mountain climbers, fighters and to some extent, other athletes but in general they'd likely be smaller and less adaptive (from years of disuse) than that of primitive man. Of course our world is now more complex than it has ever been in history so likely other areas of the brain would be much, much larger. It's interesting to think about.

But really, my point in this thread is for us to support each other is physicality in general. In movement, in having our time together here and then getting up and jumping around and being alive. Alive = movement. That's pretty much the #1 way life scans to see if other life is alive.

My father before me was very physically repressed. Now he's got the shakes (Parkinsons) partly (IMO) from holding himself back (physically and emotionally), him and my mother have both shrunk about 2 inches in their elder years. I certainly don't want to shrink!

I grew up feeling inadaquete in sports & thus (I probably deemed) in physicality in general. There were some exceptions later in adolesence when I discovered cross-country-running but my general view of myself was pretty set by then.

I want to break out of this view of myself. I don't like when people see me as a "computer guy". I'm not a computer guy. I like this tool as a way to process massive amounts of data and more importantly to communicate but I don't want to base my living or my life around it. Right now I'm sitting mostly still (though I can certainly feel the wild & powerful life force surging inside of me... heh heh, admit it, that turned you on) while my fingers along go mad on the keyboard. This doesn't feel "right" to me (as a lifestyle nothing wrong with it as an hour or two a day thing). I do what I have to do now but someday I'd like to not need this as much.

Brain Rules & Play Like Your Body Depended on It (only about 1/4 way thru) both were very eye-opening books for me (mostly to what I already "knew" but still, repetition is almost always necessary).

Anyway, threads yours, play with it.

I was always the cerebral but not physical type. It's very difficult for me to put on muscle. I am the skin and bones type naturally, and if I gain it goes to my belly. And I was always preferring to read a book rather than exercise.

But this past year I developed a reputation as "very active" and "athletic" which was news to me! I do go to the gym and ride my bike a lot. Compared to the people I work with this is a big deal because they saw my comings and goings and they don't do it themselves.

It's funny how others see us vs. how we see ourselves.

I consider the gym to be a necessary evil. There is something ridiculous about using a treadmill when you can just take a walk outside. However there is no substitute for resistance training and most people can't afford to get the full range of equipment. The gym is easier in this regard and more environmentally friendly if you walk there or ride your bike to it.

<< It's funny how others see us vs. how we see ourselves.

Isn't it?!

Do you swim too arugula? I like swimming alot but it seems like 99.99% of pools are chlorinated in the US.

No, I don't have access to a pool. But I would if I did, chlorine or not.

the pool closest to here (still over half hour away) is salt water. i haven't been going but gramma takes little there for swim lessons and i feel alright about him not coming home smelling of bleach. the baby's been in that pool too, can't say i would have done that in a regular ole chlorinated pool.

the only exercise i've been getting lately is moving, blah. but i did break out the bike yesterday for a quick hop to it. it felt pretty darn good, i'll be doing it again. i have a centre mounting baby seat that i have to figure out how to attach and then we'll be the biking duo (trio if i can ever get little to conquer his fear of falling of his cycle. wish me luck!).

dance

just do it