3391: Are You Having Fun Yet AND Redefining Normal by Roger Lawson of RogLaw Fitness on Finding Joy In Fitness

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[00:00:57] This is Optimal Health Daily. Redefining Normal. And, are you having fun yet? Both by Roger Lawson of rogeloftfitness.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Sunday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read to you from the best health and fitness blogs for free. This is kind of like an audiobook, but with articles instead. And from a bunch of different authors. And don't forget, always with permission from the site.

[00:01:23] Now on Fridays, I do something a little different. I answer your health questions. You can send one in at oldpodcast.com slash ask, or you can email it directly to health at oldpodcast.com. All right, with that, let's hear today's two articles and continue optimizing your life. Are you having fun yet? By Roger Lawson of rogeloftfitness.com.

[00:01:54] Do you remember when being active used to be fun? I don't know about you, but I never had more of a blast being physically active than when I was back in middle school. I was never a particularly active kid. I'd always much rather play an awesome video game than go outside and ride my bike. So anytime I got off my butt to do something, there should have been a multi-day parade thrown in my honor. Despite the sad and depressing fact that these parades never materialized, I've managed to stay strong over the years and fight through this emotional pain. Gym class was pretty dope.

[00:02:24] I wasn't really good at any of the activities that we did, such as basketball or volleyball, but I wasn't the worst guy out there either. So that helped keep me from letting the emo set in and going to sulk on the locker room benches. Above all else though, there was one game that I looked forward to more than anything else in the world. Dodgeball. It was fun enough playing with other members of my class, you know, those whose strength, speed, and coordination levels were similar to my own.

[00:02:49] Sure, there were those who were a bit better in one of those areas than the rest of us, but not by an embarrassing amount. While those days were cool, they weren't the ones that nearly pushed my mind off the edge and into the dark abyss of insanity. Every once in a while, for some sick and twisted reason, our gym teacher picked a side to join and jumped into the fray. His name was Mr. Avery, and he was a monster. When he was on our team, we felt invincible, like we couldn't lose. To a bunch of kids, it was like having Superman on your team.

[00:03:18] But when we were on the other side of the half-court line wondering if we would make it home for dinner that night, the game took an entirely different tone. Folks were getting taken out left and right. A 12-year-old body just isn't built to handle the blunt force trauma caused by a grown man hurling a rubber ball towards them at the speed of light. I'm usually motivated, not by any intrinsic reward, but from the avoidance of shame and embarrassment. And there's nothing more embarrassing than getting your chest caved in in front of all your homies, regardless of your age.

[00:03:47] But hot those days were fun. I used that nervousness to my advantage. It kept me sharp, on the edge, where I needed to be. You would have thought that I had hornets in my pants, the way I was running around like a certified fool trying to avoid ending up in a body bag. Resistance was futile, so the goal was simple. Keep moving or get moved. I've heard stories that one fateful day, some kid caught one of Mr. Avery's fastballs and survived. But I won't believe it until I see some grainy YouTube footage.

[00:04:15] Alright, alright, so what was the point of that little trip down memory lane? It's simple. Have some fun. You're more likely to be active and stay active if you like what it is that you're doing. And besides, the journey towards your goal is a lot more interesting when you're having fun along the way. Intervals will never hold a long-term spot in my life. But walking on the treadmill will. So will playing the Dance Central game on the Xbox 360. Why? Because they're fun to me. Because I can do them every day without mustering up some serious mental preparation.

[00:04:45] I love that it allows me to think, read, and generate new ideas while I'm burning some calories that I otherwise wouldn't have. And I'm going to successfully get lean while having one hell of a time doing it. These methods might not be fun for you and that's totally cool. Whatever activity it is that you love and find fun, just make sure to do it and do it consistently. You'll be so much better off for it, not only physically but mentally as well.

[00:05:14] Redefining Normal by Roger Lawson of rogelawfitness.com Most people regain all of the weight that they fought so hard to lose during their diet. It's more commonplace to eat at a restaurant, swing by a drive-thru, or eat something pre-packaged and convenient than it is to cook a meal at home from scratch. Over 66% of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese. This is normal. If you want to join this segment of the population, they're more than happy to welcome you with open arms.

[00:05:44] All applications are accepted instantly, no questions asked. Then there are the others. These people lose the weight and keep it off. This group cards out the time to cook their own food on a consistent basis and make movement a permanent part of their lifestyle. This isn't normal and members of this group are constantly under siege. Why are you always eating like that? Why do you spend so much time working out? Why don't you just live a little? Read, why do you silently make me feel bad about all the choices I'm making?

[00:06:12] I'm not here to tell you which group to join. That choice is yours and yours alone to make. But I will tell you this. One group has a much higher chance of achieving their goals, maintaining their results, and changing their lives for the better. While the other group is destined to forever spin their wheels in the mud of life, constantly giving in to every urge that they have, looking for something outside of themselves as the solution. If you're happy with your results, then who am I to tell you to do otherwise? If, on the other hand, you have that hunger for more,

[00:06:40] but currently find yourself a part of this normal crowd, then the best thing you can do is redefine what normal is. You just listened to the posts titled, Are You Having Fun Yet? and Redefining Normal. Both by Roger Lawson of rogelawfitness.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. If you've been optimizing your diet, your protein intake, your sleep, you're already ahead of most people.

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[00:08:34] Watch the new Hulu original series, The Testaments, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. I just saw some data recently and overweight and obesity have just surpassed tobacco as the most preventable cause of death in the U.S. So for the longest time, tobacco use has been the leading cause of preventable death in this country. And now sadly, overweight and obesity have surpassed tobacco use

[00:09:03] as the leading preventable cause of death. And these are data according to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health agencies like that. So it is somewhat normal in the U.S. to be overweight or obese. But we can extrapolate some good news from this. The key word that I said is preventable. Right? So that doesn't mean that by being overweight or obese, you're set for life. It means there are still things you can do to change that. And when Roger was talking about gym class,

[00:09:32] that definitely brought me back to middle school too. I remember playing dodgeball. That wasn't my favorite game. And luckily, my gym instructor never joined in. But I loved kickball. Kickball was pretty much like baseball. Except when you stand in the batter's box, somebody rolls a giant red ball towards you and then you kick it as hard as you can and then you run the bases. Shocking. I would love a game that's similar to baseball. But I completely agree with Roger that if you can find activities that make you feel good, that are fun,

[00:10:01] that maybe bring you back to childhood, fond childhood memories, then you're more likely to stick to it. And like he said, it's consistency that's key. And believe it or not, I actually recently did an internet search and I found some adult kickball leagues in my area. Just thinking about joining puts a smile on my face. So I may be joining really soon. All right, that'll do it for today. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening every day. Thank you for sharing the show with someone. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow

[00:10:30] where your optimal life awaits. Thank you.