Right
actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past.
Tryon
Edwards
As someone who constantly
writes about men owning up to their own preconceptions and bias, I felt it
rather appropriate to own up to one of my own; one that was blown clear out of
the water a few months ago and didn’t realize it till recently. So, instead of
trying to justify my own bias, it’s time to stop making excuses and offer an open
apology to every fitness buff, gym rat, health nut, and nutritionist out there.
You guys know what you’re
talking about.
Keep in mind that I’ve
never been a full blown couch potatoes.
Let me start by admitting
where my own bias was born. I was never part of the jock clique, as I found my
passion and inspiration in the artistic and intellectual endeavors as a kid.
Sports? I was never really into them. That doesn’t mean I was out of shape, as I
practiced martial arts for most of my life, did some track back in high school,
and was an avid BMX/Freestyler for the longest time when I was a kid. But the
social faction mindset of school led me to embrace the dumb jock bias from my
youth without realizing it.
Sure, I (sort of) worked out
and tried to eat (sort of) healthy but, if I’m completely honest, it was never
really a priority (to the dismay of every doctor I went to). Life? Way too
complicated to take the time to worry about eating right all the time and to
worry about taking care of myself. If anything, my lack of health was my
testimony and proof to my dedication to what really mattered within my life. An
hour in the gym was an hour I wasn’t hustling for a project or an hour I wasn’t
doing something for the family.
How easy do we end up
telling ourselves that taking care of your body is selfish? Or even vain? Right?
So, when last Movember
rolled around, I started to participate in their Move campaign. With one simple
exception this time… As I’ve written about men’s health and the importance of
taking care of yourself, this time I took it a bit more serious. So I started
to look into doing it right.
First step? I sat down
with Ms. B who, besides being our
resident copyright enforcer, is a long time nutrition and workout enthusiast. She
could point me in the right direction, offering me an extensive selection of
tools and advice. And then something amazing started to happen. I actually
followed through on her recommendations. I started researching on every fitness
site, sat down with a nutritionist and a fitness coach. And the more I learned
and the more I discussed strategies and plans with them, the more I realized
that those “dumb jocks” weren’t dumb at all. If anything, they are made to feel
dumb by society stereotyping them.
You’re average gym rat
often has an amazing understanding of nutrition, body mechanics, and general
health. And it made perfect sense (when I took of my own blinders). If the
serious surfer has an excellent understanding of meteorology and oceanography,
why wouldn’t the serious fitness enthusiast have an excellent understanding of
everything involving making your body better?
It’s funny. We have no
problem believing a doctor when they give you a prescription for 20 different
pills, but should they tell you to take care of your body, work out, or eat
healthier to avoid taking medication, we want a second opinion and pretty much
insult the doctor’s intelligence. Long story short…I started doing things the right
way, instead of “my” way. And, to quote every single click bait article online,
“you’ll never guess what happened next!” It worked.
There is a down side to
this realization though. I had own up to every excuse, to every time I bullshitted
myself, to every dismissive comment and attitude I might have had. I stopped
making up “logical” justifications as to why they could do it and I couldn’t,
most of which involved putting them down and making me look good. I’ve realized
I’ve been somewhat of an asshole dismissing their advice all this time. Today?
I’m all out of excuses. Because the best testimony of self sacrifice I can have
towards myself and those around me is to be healthy enough to last a long time
and fit enough to make it worthwhile.
