The lifestyle of our generations makes us sit in front of the computer for hours. And this has produced a generation of obese or unhealthy population. Do you remember the time that play and exercise when we were children were always fun? That’s because exercise per se is happiness. Whereas in other aspects of our lives like work & love, happiness is a result of our zestful expressions of ourselves in our engagements there, exercise is happiness per se. Exercise makes possible the release of the naturally occurring endogenous hormone called endorphins which is a feel good hormone.
I am writing the results of a research & I noticed that I have been sitting in my chair for hours and for weeks. This writing is also interspersed with Facebook addiction and voila these are exactly the recipe for obesity & other health disasters. It turns out dancing every now and then is not enough exercise. So, I embarked on jogging in our village. It is like I discovered a new formula for happiness. I shared this with my friends and everyone reinforced this endeavor. So, it is something that I must pursue because I have announced this commitment to wellness. I also got many tips from well meaning friends and from Kenneth AB Antonio, my doctor cousin. I was advised that walking briskly maybe better and safer than jogging and just as good as an aerobic exercise for vital capacity. How to jog or walk safely? To jog or run, a pair of track shoes is best. My young daughter recently had tendonitis of her Achilles heels from too much of these walking & jogging. My generation should be more aware and warned of this because as we get older, our bones are now more brittle & thus more prone to fractures. So, walk on flat surfaces and cover distance with successive approximation and increase mileage in time. For stray dogs, a stick with length up to one’s breast will come in handy. And bring water, if you plan to walk for hours.
My walking path is a sight to behold. The beautiful home gardens are now in full bloom. I noticed also that the foliage and flowers have been refurbished like fashion over the years. I classify flowers as either the classic ones, last season or the new breed. Bougainvillas, gumamelas or hibiscus & gardenias are classic flowers but new breeds are improving their variety. Walking at night scents the air & I recognize the scents of Dama de Noche, Champaca, Kamuning & Nicaraguan Jasmine.
When walking in the light of the full moon, I feel that I am at the center of the universe yet I also feel so insignificant in the vast cosmos. And as someone shared in a message, when one looks at the vast cosmos, we realize how mundane the things we do during the day.
Walking in my village is like saying hello again to my neighbors & I oddly realize that I have not really seen them in years. This irony was not lost on me as I realized that I have almost a thousand virtual friends from all over the world, many of them I have not met. When my daughter was growing up, she knew all the kids and their parents in our neighborhood. And, my neighbors fondly referred to me as the mother of Kaye, my daughter. We should be friends with our neighbors and be in communion with them because in this age of disasters they are the ones we should actually be helping & holding hands with.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment