Second Time Around Column: Working out gives young, old people more control
By B. Eddie Bauman
So many people have asked me how I have time to get to the fitness center with my heavy course load. I don’t think I would be able to juggle all of the things I have going on if I didn’t work out. That is the only time I set-aside exclusively for me. When I am working out there is no college, or kids, or husband, or taxes, or anything else. I am alone, and I don’t have to think about anything at all.
I started working out when I was pregnant with my first child. Pregnancy exercise classes were the "new rage" and I really only went to be around other pregnant women.
The last time I started working out was when my twins were about a year old. Don’t tell anybody, but I really only joined up because they had babysitting. You could put your kids in the nursery for two hours. I figured that if I worked out for about twenty minutes no one would notice if I spent the next hour and forty minutes taking a steam and a shower and blow-drying my hair.
With twins running around the house it was the only way I could keep myself clean and presentable. I figured it was worth the twenty minutes of torture. By the time my kids were two years old I was working out for the whole two hours and had to shower at home with the kids loose. I was hooked. I liked working out.
Staying in shape is as good for your head as it is for your body. It invigorates you and can reduce stress. It boggles my mind that there are so many people who don’t exercise at all. So many people would rather get a good body from a pill or surgery and lose the feeling of empowerment you can get from having done it yourself.
I’m not really in any position to judge anyone. If those twins had let me take a shower at home in peace I’d probably be overweight and flabby today.
Being fit gives a person a sense of control. If you think your stomach is too big you can actually make it smaller. If you think your thighs are too big you can make them smaller, too. (Unfortunately, this doesn’t work on your feet. Better get used to whatever size they are.) You can make your arms bigger and your butt smaller at the same time.
The best part is that you did it yourself. You didn’t have to pay someone else to do it. The more you feel in control of your body - the more you feel in control of your life. If you feel you are in control of your life you know you can do anything you set your mind to.
Do I sound like I’m preaching? Okay, so maybe I am. But I have noticed that people my age who work out take it much more seriously than the kids do. They think they will all stay young and fit forever. If they stay in school and get really good jobs, chances are that their work will not be terribly strenuous. I hope for their sakes that they all have twins.