Fitness is subjective - you can be considered fit to one group of friends, and completely unfit compared to another.
But does that really matter?
For example, I certainly shouldn't be satisfied with my level of fitness just because someone says they think I am fit!!
Conversely, if someone ridicules my level of fitness, I shouldn't be hung up about that either if I am satisfied with it --- well, at least to a certain extent anyway; perhaps there are objective standards in this world. Of course I'm not talking about situations where we lie to ourselves about the ill state of our health. Let's assume we are all reasonable or sensible people here!
So what I wanted to note on here is that, recently, I've started to get myself back towards the 'right level' of fitness.
What that 'right level' is is anyone's guess. But it's something only I will know. I don't know what it is right now, but I'll hopefully know soon..after I make myself go through certain self-imposed tests.
All I know right now is that it definitely requires a Herculean effort to force yourself to be disciplined enough to do exercises on a daily or even weekly basis.
But I think it is an excellent thing to constantly seek self-improvement, not just in the physical sense, but internally and spiritually too.
Let's see how long I can keep this up for...
A quick thought on 'diversifying interests'
As a sidenote, after reading articles and watching stories on former elite athletes/champions suffering from depression and/or a denial that they have passed their peak, I also think it is critical not to invest too much into one particular thing (of course I am not talking about relationships or family here - this is strictly concerning hobbies or past times).
So for example, take the fact that I like the sport of badminton amongst my many other interests.
I am of the view that I should not put all my eggs into just the one thing (badminton) because if that one thing disappears for any reason (particularly if it is out of my control eg. if I eventually get too old to play!) then you could easily find yourself upset and hung up over that.
Sport in particular can be quite brutal - not everyone has the tenacity and fitness levels to grind out a professional career into their late 30's and beyond for example. I do feel sorry for some of these athletes who have only ever known their sport and nothing else.
So, instead, I think it's best to hedge your bets and have some diversified interests: a solid mixture of physical, mental, spiritual, leisurely and other pursuits perhaps where possible.
Andre Lim
No comments:
Post a Comment