Physical activity

Ever wonder why folks seem to be more sedentary than say, 50 or 60 years ago? I think much more of the population today is employed in sedentary work and gets little physical activity. We’ve moved from an agrarian and trades-based society to a service-oriented one. The reverse was true back then; physical activity happened all day long. The workforce was less desk-bound and was certainly not tied to a screen.

Women who worked in the home engaged in cleaning, washing, preparing meals, caring for and educating children. It was an all day job. Women who were employed outside the still had work waiting at home; often, literally working a double shift! Well, maybe not a lot has changed in that regard, has it??

Men generally performed household chores- I don’t mean dishes and housework- but auto repairs or maintenance of the home and yardwork was done after work or weekends. There was more physical activity in daily life than today.

Play clothes, get dirty, be happy

Children had that wonderful release at lunch time: run around the school yard and socialize with their peers. Physical activity at lunch and also during physical education class! They could let off some steam and then go back inside for lessons, re-energized. The best part of the day was play time after school. I can remember how freeing it felt to come home to a snack, change into play clothes, get dirty and be happy! We tackled homework and studied after dinner.

Today, school recess is a rarity. Children are permitted time to eat and little else. Physical education classes are no longer a priority. I think test scores, too often, take precedence over mental well being. After school, outdoor play has all but disappeared in most urban settings. The days of riding bikes to find at which house all of your friends had gathered have been replaced by xbox, play station or screens. I feel it’s sadly isolating that those activities don’t require imaginative play or face-to-face interaction.

Hamsters on a tread mill

So now, as adults, we drag ourselves to the closest gym and run like hamsters on a tread mill to stave off the pound-creep. I tried it but just couldn’t stand the dry, stale air rank with the smell of sweat. It’s the sheer boredom of repetitive exercise machines. I’ll take a two-hour hike over the stale-smelling gym any time.

Unfortunately, I can’t get outdoors and hike in the woods as much I as would like, so for most days I try to get in a 30-40 minute walk. There is something cathartic about engaging with trees and green and nature. It makes me feel whole, calm and re-energized. It’s like a reset. Just like the after-school playtime was a reset.