Exercise as Protest

More than 40% of Americans are obese as of 2019. We have access to McDonalds and Taco Bell for cheap, while organic, ethical choices are expensive and harder to access in certain communities.

The truth is, the society we currently live in wants you weak. They want women to be as small as possible. They want men to be afraid to communicate. They want you to need them. But you don’t need them.

With each rep, you get stronger and more capable and more independent. With each rep, you get to say, “No, I got it.”

This translates to other areas of your life.

I started working out seriously because I got out of a relationship I wasn’t prepared for. I didn’t have enough physical strength, emotional strength, resilience, or confidence.

I feel more confident to go out alone since I am stronger. While many people hold good intentions, there are also a huge amount of people who are dangerous or mean harm. I do carry some form of protection with me but I also know that I am strong and am not an easy target anymore. I can look people in the eyes and know that I am able to put up a fight if necessary.

****

Exercise has been proven to be beneficial for mental health. Many of the large companies that monopolize the food and health industries want you stressed. They want to keep you docile. They want to keep you going for cheap, accessible foods which lead you to medical conditions. Which in turn lead you to medications. They want to offer you all their solutions. Approximately $173 billion were spent in medical expenditure in the year 2019.

Let me clarify, here. I have no problem with medications when necessary. They have given us incredible advancements with illnesses, infections, and mental health. I am on an anti-depressant and have been for a number of years. Simple solutions to attempt before turning to medication for your mental health have been here the whole time, however. Fresh air, movement, fuel, friendship, love. We have always had the answers in front of us. We just got distracted by social media, wars, and smaller stresses in life.

****

I work with older clients who are looking to hold onto their independence for as long as possible. This means working on standing up without assistance, balancing, picking up small weights that you might encounter in your day-to-day life.

While this may not be the goal for everyone, there is an element that the average person misses. After we hit our physical peak, our bone density begins to go down. Our muscle mass starts to get smaller. It becomes harder to balance.

We must actively keep ourselves strong and healthy in order to prevent these natural trends to take us by surprise. We must get stronger before we fall and are unable to lift ourselves up to safety.