ladysprite (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladysprite) wrote2009-01-05 11:28 am
ladysprite) wrote2009-01-05 11:28 am
Activity
For the past few weeks, I've been craving physical activity, in levels that are nigh-unfathomable to me.
I've known for a while now that I'm a much more physical and active person than I originally self-identified as - I spent most of the first twenty years of my life avoiding any kind of exertion like the plague. I spent as much of my time as possible curled up on my backside reading, and my primary focus in school, other than figuring out how many classes I could dodge while still graduating at the top of my class, was coming up with creative excuses to get out of gym. But over the past few years, I've slowly come to realize that, the more I move, the happier I am.
For the past couple of years, this has meant that I try to find a reasonable level of activity in my day-to-day life. I walk to the library and the bank when I can. I record little half-hour yoga shows and try to do them at least a couple times a week, and once a week if possible I hit a more intense yoga class. Once in a while I go out dancing, and I spend most of the work day on my feet.
Over the past month, though, that hasn't been cutting it. Yoga has left me feeling edgy, unfulfilled, and deeply in need of an elevated heartbeat, so I've replaced it with a 40-minute aerobics video. Given my slow work schedule, I've been able to fit that in most days, and it's usually been followed by a couple miles walk in the cold. And in spite of that, when I come home and take off my coat, scarf, gloves and various and sundry other layers and flop on the sofa to warm up, the first thing that goes through my head is, 'gee, what I really want to do now is play DDR...'
It's not bad, but it's kind of eerie - I'm used to craving macaroni and cheese, or trashy novels, not motion, and not this strongly. I'm not quite sure what's causing it, either. Maybe it's the fact that this is the first time in months that I've been able to be this active; maybe it's a weird new way for my body to sublimate stress and anxiety, maybe at some point in my sleep I was bitten by a radioactive squirrel and I am now feeling the first pangs of what will become a driving need to scamper constantly at near-sonic speeds.
On the other hand, all this walking and bending and twisting and jumping seems, for the moment, to be keeping the winter blues away. So I won't complain too loudly....
I've known for a while now that I'm a much more physical and active person than I originally self-identified as - I spent most of the first twenty years of my life avoiding any kind of exertion like the plague. I spent as much of my time as possible curled up on my backside reading, and my primary focus in school, other than figuring out how many classes I could dodge while still graduating at the top of my class, was coming up with creative excuses to get out of gym. But over the past few years, I've slowly come to realize that, the more I move, the happier I am.
For the past couple of years, this has meant that I try to find a reasonable level of activity in my day-to-day life. I walk to the library and the bank when I can. I record little half-hour yoga shows and try to do them at least a couple times a week, and once a week if possible I hit a more intense yoga class. Once in a while I go out dancing, and I spend most of the work day on my feet.
Over the past month, though, that hasn't been cutting it. Yoga has left me feeling edgy, unfulfilled, and deeply in need of an elevated heartbeat, so I've replaced it with a 40-minute aerobics video. Given my slow work schedule, I've been able to fit that in most days, and it's usually been followed by a couple miles walk in the cold. And in spite of that, when I come home and take off my coat, scarf, gloves and various and sundry other layers and flop on the sofa to warm up, the first thing that goes through my head is, 'gee, what I really want to do now is play DDR...'
It's not bad, but it's kind of eerie - I'm used to craving macaroni and cheese, or trashy novels, not motion, and not this strongly. I'm not quite sure what's causing it, either. Maybe it's the fact that this is the first time in months that I've been able to be this active; maybe it's a weird new way for my body to sublimate stress and anxiety, maybe at some point in my sleep I was bitten by a radioactive squirrel and I am now feeling the first pangs of what will become a driving need to scamper constantly at near-sonic speeds.
On the other hand, all this walking and bending and twisting and jumping seems, for the moment, to be keeping the winter blues away. So I won't complain too loudly....
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By the way, have you figured out for certain whether you're going to be at Arisia yet? I'm assuming you're not going to be up for dancing, either way, but it'd be great to get the chance just to hang out.....
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Yes, I'm really looking forward to hanging out with you, too. And I think you're right -- dancing is likely to be out. At least much in the way of real dancing. *sigh*
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Want to make tentative plans for dinner either Friday or Saturday? I've got panels Saturday at 7 and 8, but other than that I'm open....
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Looking forward to seeing you!
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If I had to guess, I think your own thoughts on training of humans applies. Activity helps resolve stress, so you feel better. Do that enough, and you start to get a positive reinforcement loop running. Do that enough, and you get trained to it.
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Exercise is great -- the natural endorphins chase the blues away. I get really crabby when hockey is rained out. (:
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It's a good habit to cultivate. As the years pass you won't have to worry quite so much about the problems that beset the more sedentary. It should also help to keep the muscles around your knees strong, and prevent re-injuring it.
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You should come dancing on Friday! And then at Arisia there should be good dancing Saturday *and* Sunday nights, the DJ club dance Saturday and the Goth dance I'm running on Sunday.
And Down With Tempo is *tonight* at An Tua Nua in Boston... free admission from 9:00 - 9:30, $5 thereafter.
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(As you've discovered, the only major downside is when you can't do stuff. I find out today whether my back is sufficiently OK to start playing DDR again... *hope hope hope*)
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Go for it, says I.
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