Brett's Blog: Do you Exercise to Look Good or Feel Good?
September 23, 2008 | by Brett Blumenthal | 7 Comments
by Brett Blumenthal
This past week, I had the pleasure of speaking to an undergraduate class of business students about Sheer Balance. Being back on campus was fantastic in many ways: the intellectual stimulation, the clean air of Ithaca, the beautiful fall weather, and of course, the youthful atmosphere…it just doesn’t get better.
During my presentation, I became distinctly aware of how different one’s mindset is when one is in school…specifically about health. I looked around the class and I would venture to guess that a good 80% of the class looked healthy and ‘fit’ (yeah, I know they were 15 years my junior, but that isn’t the point). Looking back, when I was a Freshman in college, I discovered exercise and its benefits because I was trying to ‘look good’. I’m not ashamed to admit this. I’d be lying if I didn’t. The pressure and desire to look good in your teens and early 20s is enormous. And so, I made sure I looked my best by eating right and exercising. At the time, I viewed my resulted good health purely as an added bonus.
Today, in my mid-30s, my perspective is different. My primary objective for eating well and exercising is to be in good health, with ’looking good’ as the added bonus. I’m not sure when this transition occured, but I have to believe that it is part of the ’settling down’ and life changes quotient: you get married, you have children, you have a job that is demanding, and somehow, ‘looking good’ just isn’t as important as it used to be. That was when it dawned on me: if you never have the transition in mind-set from looking good to feeling good, then in short, you stop feeling incented to exercise and eat right.
After the class was over, I had a discussion about this with one of the students, who indeed, was in pretty good shape. He asked what challenges I had with Sheer Balance. I briefly explained my new found epiphany to him and interestingly enough, he agreed that yes, college students were indeed incented to be healthy to look good. Further, he agreed that yes, maybe, if you remove the desire to look good, then it might be difficult to entise people to be healthy.
Wow. Is it possible that we care more about our looks than our health? If you look good, but don’t feel good, all is a-okay? And on the other side, if you feel bad but look great, you are a-okay too?
What is your perspective? Do you exercise for vanity or for health?
Related Topics:
- Diet vs. Lifestyle: Why to choose the latter
- Diet vs. Lifestyle: Part II
- Eat Like Crap = Feel Like Crap
- Life Changes and their Effect on your Health
- Keeping Honest on a Healthy Diet
- Health is your Wealth
Your last rhetorical questions are identical. (last sentence of the blog)
Am a catholic,everyday i ride to church on my bicycle for atlist 30min in order to attend morning mass,i usually start riding by 5am, the reason for riding is because i dont have another means of transport but i must confess that has been helping me healthwise,although sometime i feel pains all over my body as a result of the ride,am thin,24yrs old,male,a university graduate,Nigerian,and i reside in Kaduna.
I only exercise to feel good and looking good has always happened as a result. I enjoy my body and exercising reminds me how blessed I am to have a fully functional body!
I exercises for both .., but most i can say for look.
Well i am 20 yet.And i like the muscular pain i get after the exercise that gives me pleasure hahahha.
They old saying If you feel good you look good.
I exercise to feel good and be healthy. I am a
tall thin person, aslways have been and people
are always asking why I exercise, I am already
thin, well thin on the outside doesnt mean a
healthy inside.
I exercise to feel good, look good and to be healthier. It feels good to know that you care enough about yourself to take care of yourself. When I recently turned 50, I decided to make a lifestyle change. I didn’t want a fad diet that would take the weight off for a short while only to gain back more. I go to the gym a least 3 times a week. It has made a difference in my life. I feel better about myself. The mirror does not lie. My clothes fit better. I wished that I would have joined the gym earlier. I exercise plus eat senseable meals. Guess what the weight is coming off.
Wanting to look better is often what gets me back into the gym. Right now, I’ve had a rough month replete with overeating and workouts about once a week. I’m starting to show the wear. That’s going to get me back in there, but I am always aware of the health benefits (particularly on the mental side) of breaking a good sweat. So yeah, I gotta get in there. Thanks for the reminder!