Preppers

“Civilization impairs physical fitness.” – Joseph Pilates

You’ve probably heard me say it: the human body is designed to move every which way, to sit on the ground, to climb trees, and to dig, chop wood and carry water. Yet, modern living keeps eliminating these “juicy” movement opportunities. Those darn escalators, drive-thru’s and valet parking attendants!

The big problem with this is not just the lack of built-in fitness. It’s that you and I go about our days with this cush life, yet inevitably, we face a physically demanding situation, and we’re not prepared for it. 

Years ago, while sitting on a subway train in New York City, there was a fire on the tracks ahead. My fellow passengers and I sat on that train for over 30minutes in sweltering heat and when the rescue crew finally opened the doors, they ushered us out to a dark and narrow corridor that led to an industrial ladder with approximately 50 rungs straight up. Every single person was then instructed, one by one, to climb the ladder, in order to get out and on to the city streets.

I remember people struggling. Most people were carrying “stuff” like groceries, a skateboard or even a child. This alone made the voyage up the ladder tricky. I remember people swearing, panicking, breathing heavy, needing assistance, and getting angry, but eventually we all made it up. 

When we work on our physical fitness, we’re preppers!  Incidences, like the one I mention above, may seem highly unlikely, but if you live long enough, they pop up….especially when traveling.  Recently, at the Atlanta airport, the gate changed and I had to sprint (with luggage) to the new “far away” one, and when I was a Los Angeles in February, a power outage at my hotel forced me  to walk up 12 flights of stairs (with luggage). 

My neighbor has an 80lb dog that needed emergency medical attention. Getting the dog into his car was no joke. Luckily, he managed and the dog got to the vet hospital in time, but what if he didn’t have the physical capability to do so?

“Aim for being able to run for the bus with ease, aim for having the strength to carry the shopping home or store the suitcase in the overhead locker with ease, aim for being able to balance on your own two feet when you need to.” – Joseph Pilates

There’s a tremendous sense of empowerment in knowing you can handle physical adversity. Plus, being physically capable is a great way help others and put them at ease. Ultimately, when you’re fit,  incidences like ones I experienced in the subway, the airport, and the high-rise hotel, become opportunities to shine. 

Your workout is important stuff, and it gets more and more important as our world gets more and more convenient. 
Let’s Move! 🤗