Exercise and Inner Self

My Navy daughter had some concerns about spending two weeks with family before she left for her next duty station. At the top of her list was the need to be near a gym while she was on leave so she could keep up with her two-hour daily workout schedule. Not only does she want to keep fit for work, but if she doesn’t work out six days a week for two hours every day, she feels anxious, sort of depressed and generally uncomfortable and unhappy. I hadn’t noticed quite so much until one of her little sisters mentioned it, but she thinks about exercise throughout the day and talks about it a lot. When you come from a family of alcoholics on one side and a family of 400lb women on the other side, like I do, you benefit from knowing something about how addictions manifest. For whatever reasons (environment, genetics or a combination of those and other factors), some of us get hooked more easily than others. Distinguishing between normal, healthy indulgences and addictions can be tricky for the one questioning whether or not s/he is addicted to alcohol, food, exercise, sex, gambling, internet usage, work or video gaming (to name a few). In speaking specifically to exercise addiction, one psychologist says, “If skipping your scheduled sweat session makes you feel like a failure or produces physical symptoms, like a racing heart or shortness of breath, there may be a bigger issue in play.” (Scott Griffiths, PhD) If you use exercise as a coping mechanism to escape unpleasant feelings or to increase self-esteem, instead of to improve your health and fitness, you might have an addiction to exercise. I told my girl that her physical body is only part of her whole self. The inner, true self must be attended as well as the physical part. I told her I understand how she feels. I really do. I have to will myself through the motions of a healthy balanced lifestyle, including not only regular exercise, but also the study of wholesome written material, spending time outside, listening to and observing the peaceful, beautiful works of our Creator. I seek and find opportunities to simply listen to whatever sounds there are in what we identify as silence. I can easily become fixated on one aspect of myself, and I accept it’s one of my weaknesses. I shared something I tell myself daily: “I deliberately walk my chosen path with purposeful intent.” She heard me. She is headed to Hawaii, now. Though I’ll miss her (again), I feel confident she’ll continue to strengthen herself, not only on the outside, but her inner self. Let us all do so. Be well.