WHO'S WORLD OF FANTASY WILL YOU DIVE INTO NEXT?

BEING SOMEONE WHO PREFERS to watch a series only after a season is complete instead of waiting through the weekly doses, it is slightly ironic that I would be releasing a series of articles on a weekly basis. Perhaps I should have a chat with Netflix, lol, what do you think?

Anyway, I’m super jazzed that you’re back. If you’ve been keen, you’ll have noticed that the last few articles (including this one) have had a similar title prefix. Honestly speaking, these aren’t exactly planned out, they just happen. Either way, this is the fourth installment after we spoke about the body’s adaptability to exercise; then the unexpected results when working out or when following a workout program; before adding the euphoric feeling when working out.

I wonder, did you manage to attain euphoria this past week? Or even better, were you able to relate with it at whatever level of exercise you’re at? I would definitely want to know in the comments below.

Oh, and for those of you who were asking what ‘progression’ is, it’s simply taking the challenge a notch higher with time. This is an entire topic on its own – and maybe I should write about that – but simply put, it is upping the challenge each time your body adapts to the stress it is being put through. For example, if you can do a maximum of 10 push-ups in 60 seconds, then realise that after 2 weeks you can do them in under 50 seconds comfortably, you could ‘progress’ by increasing the maximum to, say, 13 push-ups. As each stage gets more comfortable, you ramp up the challenge :).

I hope that makes sense.

Now, let’s talk environment. Before that, I don’t know about you, but this word was one of the hardest to spell back when I was growing up…I mean, why was there an “n” before the “m”? English clearly came by ship. Anyway, let’s get back to it.

Now, environment can mean anything from the trees in your compound to the people around you to even your area’s topography. For example, living in the mountains is not the same as living in the valley or in a desert; each area is unique. Another thing that you perhaps may have known but not quite thought about is that the environment determines your lifestyle. With that in mind comes a question similar to whether we live to eat or eat to live:

Are you a product of your environment or is the environment your product?

There are numerous ways to look at this question. For instance, being a product of your environment implies that you had no control over your behaviour and lifestyle, and that it was inevitable how you would turn out to be; or you used the environment around you to your advantage without necessarily changing its nature. On the other hand, implying that the environment is your product would point to your manipulation (or exploitation) of the environment to suit your needs such as chopping down trees for firewood, or irrigation farming on an arid land.

However – and perhaps because we would end up on a debate on climate (change) and all that it implies – today’s focus is much simpler than what we have already discussed so far; and perhaps touches on both sides of the question in a less dramatic way.

Suppose you moved into a neighbourhood where most (if not all) persons go jogging or cycling at any point in the day and even say hi or nod their head to each other in acknowledgement along the route. Hold that thought.

Now, suppose you moved into a neighbourhood where you are the only jogger or cyclist for miles around, and perhaps even have to travel quite some distance to get to the nearest gym. Taking it a notch closer to home, suppose you are the only sports-enthusiast at home where everybody else idolises something else like top-notch academic performance (not that they can’t go hand in hand), or they look down on physical fitness and its accomplishments.

I recently carried out a survey, and one of the most overwhelming responses on why persons never achieved much (if at all) in a physical-fitness aspect or sport hinged on the opportunities being unavailable or even their folks showing little to no interest in those pursuits. I personally think the reason why an African country like Kenya has not progressed significantly in the sporting arena (key word: significantly) is due to the little importance given to sporting pursuits.

Look at the currently-ongoing World U20 Rugby Trophy being hosted in Nyayo Stadium complete with teams from all over the world such as Spain and Samoa. Even if we could blame the poor stadium turnout on the ‘maandamano’ with people choosing to stay at home, Kenya’s first game against Samoa was held on a now-normal day, and yet the stadium was empty. Even if we could also blame it on the high entrance fee, no one was talking about the whole thing! Heck, some rugby fans weren’t even aware that it was going on until they heard it from someone else who had probably heard it from somewhere else….

Let’s get closer home as that may be a little too far removed from the article’s purpose. After reading these articles (and maybe from other sources), you feel like you would want to start exercising. But you not only have no idea how to start, you do not know who to ask. Perhaps you also do not want to be the one sticking out like a sore thumb afraid that those around you will make fun of you.

“Eh, ebu mwone yule ati anataka kukuwa ka Kipchoge. Sasa kukimbia itamsaidia aje? Si ajipe shughuli atafute unga” (Look at that one trying to be like Kipchoge. How will running help him? Wouldn’t he be better off going to work to earn a living?); “Huyu msee ashaanza kujifanya ati ye ni cool kid vile anaenda gym jioni. Yule mwingine huenda swimming ni ka ni samaki. Enyewe ni kama hawana shughuli” (Look at this guy pretending to be a ‘cool kid’ by going to the gym. The other one goes swimming all the time. It’s as if these people have time to waste).

Let’s assume that you have even started working out irrespective of all that. Let’s say that you have been working out in your room or even on a nearby field (that is probably bare of grass thanks to the cows that graze there instead of the feet that play there), and it’s been going well for the past fortnight. How long do you think you would be able to put up with it in the long run?

The quickest and possibly truest answer is that it depends on your environment. The individual in the preceding paragraph is more likely to quit before long…unless they are able to significantly influence those around them to take up the morning jogs as well. There is something about fitting in that comes to play. If, however, the individual were to move to an area where going for morning or afternoon jog is a culture, the chances are higher that it will become a lifestyle for them.

Which would also explain why most of you enjoy running on the road or on a trail (like Karura Forest): “everyone else who does it is there and so I can fit in; these are my people”. Again, the other reason you could enjoy going to the gym week after week is possibly because “your people” are there. If they were to switch gyms, chances are that you would shift with them.

The take-away is this: it’s not always that out fitness goals (resolutions) are too ambitious to come to fruition; rather, we tend to be in the wrong environment. Was your New Year resolution to work out more? What changes did you make to your environment to support that goal? You may have started…then quit soon after perhaps because you were the only one jogging in the field. Why then not try jogging on the road where you will meet tens of other joggers?

It’s like the saying “you are the average of the 5 people you hang out with”: if they pay no importance to working out and keeping fit (and healthy!), there’s no way in hell you will either; and if they are exercise gurus, physical fitness may just as well be your middle name ;). Then again, if you never hang out with anybody, you could end up on either side of the scale…but that’s if you were like a Yetti in the Mountains. And speaking of Yettis, whatever did happen to the yetti in ‘Tintin in Tibet’?

So, again I ask: are you a product of your environment or is the environment your product? I’m willing to bet that if you can answer this question, your fitness resolutions may just have that little bit more success :). All the best!

Cheers!