Pump you up

There was an old SNL (Saturday Night Live) skit that always used to crack me up: Hanz and Franz (Going to Pump you up)

It gets filed in the same category as the fitness nuts I’ve had in my life, one of those things I can find amusement/enjoyment at, for my ignorance, as well as the sheer bliss of knowing that these friends are in their job.

Recently it occurred to me that exercise is another form of emotional crutch – a slightly more healthy version of my old standing one of emotional eating. In the way of meandering through my struggles overtime with the fall back of emotional eating – trying to get out of this rabbit hole – I’ve been looking at ‘what other options’ are available in the slightly more constructive world.

Emotional Fitness is one I’ve come upon. It has alot more potential than I’d realized until lately. There is a synergy for the body with fitness. You feel good, and you don’t beat yourself over the head for doing it. Emotional eating is a double edged sword – first it usually doesn’t make you feel good – eating too much of bad things. Then you have the guilt of “doing bad things” – feeding ones self when you don’t need it, for an overweight person is just not good.

While my heart and head both know this “not good” thing – its hard in the moment to shut up the little kid saying “but I wanna, I wanna” – and work with the teenager, and adult to say “we could….”

I’m trying – I’m trying.

Thinking back about this skit, gave me inspiration to “try” this alternative form of emotional satisfaction – not only is it constructive, it also produces feel good emotions, which are so so helpful when one is in need of an emotional blanket of feel good. Dance, walk, boogie, bounce, swim, cycle, pace, kickbox – anything that sounds fun and moves the body – these are cool little things that tell my cells “we are healing” – which is what emotional “insert activity here” without the need to beat myself over the head with a broom for healing on one side, while harming on the other.

I remember when I was younger, circa day 20’s, that I spent a few months in DC with my great aunt, and I would walk a mile to and from the little cashier job I had at the pharmacy there…. we would do these Volksmarches on the weekends when we were both off… basically a walking trip thru nature or a small little offshoot town area, that would be a healing thing – a Relaxing and movement thing. These were things I did not recognize the intent of, but that were groundwork for the feelings I have now. Thank you Aunt Maureen.

The healthiest people I know, walk or move a great deal everyday to help their body process. Eating isn’t the only thing we need. Bodies are designed for movement, not sedentary. Spending so much time confined exacerbates the mental challenge of “I gotta move” – quote from a game I typically play daily – Hearthstone.

Still struck by the lady I met at the Radical Remission workshop that was 78 and would walk 5-10 miles a day for pleasure. These are concepts that are just so foreign to me. But then I talk to my uncle, who lives on 15 acres on the side of a mountain in a beautiful area, and I realize his movement is obligatory. Animals don’t understand when you don’t provide necessary care, they know movement is as much a fact of life as water, sunshine and food.

Why is this not a concept like breathing? Why do I have so many hang ups about exercise. Why does it feel like “work” or “chores” – gotta find the fun, and the game in it. Working on one of these now, I’ll report back if I find it working in a few weeks. Test, test test – and report. Always the data analyst in me.

Constantly seeking new and improved ways to put the fun in making my body move. To draw the fun out of it, so I want – not just need – WANT to do it daily. So that the movement becomes the joy and the reason for doing it, not the obligatory action of “I gotta move”

I am blessed to have fitness “nuts” – yes I’ll still call them nots, because while I can understand and appreciate the desire to emotionally ‘work out’ I’m not sure I’ll be able to reframe the movement into this niche. I am blessed to have these people in my life, as a gold star example of the infinite possibilities of opening my mind and allowing the plethora of variety of life to embrace and show me the world.

Thank you universe for giving me the sun, the moon and the stars – and especially this blue moon on this amazing day of hallows eve. Thank you for giving me the people in my life that bring me joy, happiness and surround me with bliss on the daily. Thank you for giving me safety, health, and above all a wealth of wonder full engaging things that bring me infinite doses of happiness to brighten my world and bring the joy of life out in my smile, my eyes, and my heart.

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