Over the last months, we’ve seen some crazy stuff. We have dealt with change after change in our living and working (or not-working) conditions. On top of that, we have seen some particularly ugly manifestations of the racism in our society and way too much violence.
So what the heck am I doing writing about cardio and weights and Pilates? What relevance does fitness have in this kind of crisis?
Two things. One is that fitness is self-care. We all need things that help us cope with the undeniable stress of these times. Doing the breath work that comes with Pilates can give us a respite from the chest-tightening horror of the news. Getting breathless biking or running or walking can give us a chance to elevate our mood and exorcise some of the demons.
The other is that change requires strength. It may not require literal strength, but as I say often enough, I majored in English and I believe in the power of metaphor. When we build our literal strength, we build our figurative strength and our strength of character as well. We need to live a long time so we can transform our society and have some time left to enjoy it. Fitness brings us that.
Fitness can be a tool for creating the world we want to live in.
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