Exercise and Religion

A long time ago, a really smart fellow told me to stay out of religion and politics in this space.   For the most part, I've heeded that advice (I've been writing this column for nigh onto 28 years).  

Not so much today. So here goes:  I've come to the realization that exercise and religion are a lot alike.  You're going to have to bear with me on this one for a minute.

I see a lot people that seemed to have "discovered" exercise.   They become obsessed by it.   If they aren't exercising, they're thinking about what they're going to do the next time that they do exercise.  Or what they will wear.

They can tell you what their VO2 max is while bragging about their percentage body fat, their latest PR, or their resting heart rate and belong to not one but two gyms.

Often they extend that to their diet as well.  One day it's burgers and fries and the next day it's bean sprouts and tofu.  And if you were with them yesterday enjoying that burger, well today you might get a lecture on the sins of fat grams.

I see some religious converts act the same.  They've gone from a life of doing lots of wrong things to one of sanctity and piety.   Now, don't get me wrong, that's definitely direction that they should have taken and it is far better sooner than later.  

But they are totally consumed by this new-found religious fervor.   They'll tell you all about it without being asked (which, again, is not necessarily a bad thing).  And their life is consumed in converting you to their way of thinking (which might very well be a bad thing).

They've not really changed but they've found an "answer" to everything in their life.  See where I find the similarities?

I think there is a better way.  A middle ground, if you will.

About a month ago, I gave the advice that if you would exercise daily and remove the one single worst thing from your diet, that you would be healthier and live longer.  That's what I'm talking about here:  not a radical change about everything you do but substantive, important changes in the basics.

There isn't one single way of exercising and eating that works for everyone.  Some people run marathons.  Others need some sort of competition to stay motivated.   You've just got to learn what works for you.

And it will only work for you if you do it.  If you cannot sustain it, you need to move on to something else.  No one has found "it," that perfect exercise (or the perfect life, for that matter) that works for all.

As for food, I find that those that deprive themselves completely from too many things end up with a whole new set of problems.  Sure, there are some things that are healthier than others, but you can get to the point to where the only thing left to eat is cardboard and melba toast (which are about the same thing anyway).

Besides, if you just wait around, the food that is bad for you today will be found to be healthy for you tomorrow (although I've been waiting for bacon to be found to be healthy for a long, long time).

I also believe that The Golden Rule is a too often forgotten message about how we should live our lives.  I don't have to always agree with you about religion and politics, although too many people live their lives that way.   My late father-in-law was that way.  You could either agree with him or you could be wrong.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you-- to me means that if you want to be treated with understanding and kindness that you need to always treat others with understanding and kindness.  You don't wait for someone else to be nice to you, you get to go first.

And if that understanding and kindness are not returned to you, well that just has to be OK too.   Do not be consumed with revenge or retaliation.   Those twin criminals will consume you.

If your kindness is not returned with kindness, just move on down the line.   Your reward is going to be found somewhere else.

Look up. Get up. Don't ever give up.

At his induction ceremony into the NFL Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin offered these words of wisdom to those facing trials and tribulations:  "Look up.  Get up. And don't ever give up."
I really like that.  I like all that it implies. 
Keep in mind that Michael Irvin didn't always enjoy the best of reputations.   He made more than a few mistakes.  His prowess on the football field is inarguable but his life off the field left a lot to be desired.

"Look up."  

In her book Sum It Up about dealing with Alzheimer's, Pat Summitt describes an episode in a losing locker room when she insisted that her crying players look up, to look her in the eye, to focus on the good things that the just ended season had produced.

There is a spiritual side to "look up" as well that I like. 

Back when I coached youth sports, when I spoke to a team, I always started by saying "eyes and ears," which meant I wanted both.  There's something about looking someone in the eyes that improves communication.

I know that's what my son does with his daughter when he really wants her attention.

"Get up."

All of us have had problems at some time, some much worse than others.  I'm reading a book called Tell My Sons by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Weber about his terminal illness and the messages he wanted for his three sons. 

The book is so emotional that I find that this father can only read a few pages at a time.  But the underlying story is to not wallow in self-pity.  Get up and fight the fight. 

"Don't ever give up."

When I was a teenager, I had the poem Don't You Quit on the wall of my room.  Actually, I had it decoupaged (remember that?) on a wooden board.  It travelled with me for many years and I'm pretty sure it is still in a box in storage somewhere in the house.

To pull from parts of the poem:

    When things go wrong as they sometimes will

    When the road you're trudging seems all uphill....

    Rest if you must but don't you quit....

 

    ...stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

    It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

  

 Look up.  Get up.  And don't ever give up.

Pretty good advice.

PED's

There was an article in last Sunday's Daily Times about Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's) and the Tour de France.  It asked the question had the Tour lost its luster because of drug use. 

Most of the conversation about PED's centers around steroids.   Steroids certainly have important, even profound medical purposes but steroids used to enhance athletic performance are bad news. 

Premature death, impotency, a wide range of medical complications and side effects--those and more are what steroids can do for you. 

You don't have to read this column often to know that I ride a bicycle.  To say that I'm enamored of all things bicycle is a reasonably fair statement.  I ride frequently and often long.  A bicycle is just a great way to experience the beauty of East Tennessee and these mountains and valleys.   On a bike, we're slower and quieter, allowing us to see, smell, and feel our surroundings.

Too often, we focus on getting from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible without really appreciating how blessed we are to live here.  I'm reminded every morning as I drive into work.  When I turn off William Blount Drive onto Highway 321, heading toward Maryville, the view of the mountains is that constant reminder. 

I even built my house high on a hill with a view of the mountains.   If so inclined, I can wake up to a view that many people travel to see. 

A story to tell you about me and my love of these mountains:  When we built our house, the builder wanted the house to be squared to the road.  I wanted it squared to Chilhowee Ridge, which would put it at an odd angle to the road.  I won.

The article last week also mentioned Lance Armstrong, whose confessions to Oprah didn't so much taint the sport as it did to reveal how widespread drug use is in cycling. 

So let me burst your bubble:  The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs, or PED's, is far, far more widespread than you could imagine.   No sport, no arena, no venue is spared.

Maybe the worst perpetrator out there is the NFL.   College football is not far behind.   But I've yet to find a completely "clean" sport.   Rowing, gymnastics, basketball, track and field...heavens, it seems like baseball has a new steroid scandal every week.

There will be those that say that the NFL can't be that bad because, after all, players are subject to sophisticated and frequent drug testing.   If the Lance Armstrong fiasco proved anything, it proved how easily drug tests could be fooled.  

Before his confession (and the handwriting on the wall that preceded it), I'm the one that defended Lance Armstrong by saying that he was the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport yet had never had a single positive drug test.

Now, I'm going to be the first in line to say that even the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport can still be using Performance Enhancing Drugs and getting away with it, avoiding detection. 

Am I defending cycling a little here?  I don't know.  It's still a beautiful sport.  And I love football and basketball and most events where human performance is on display.

What seems a shame though is that our young folks too often believe that they must resort to PED's in order to stay competitive.   That somehow maybe it is allright because their sports heroes do it.

That's the really bad news.