I Need to Get Out More

[livingdeb]

Humans (and maybe all life forms) have evolved in various ways that are no longer useful for some of us richer (first-world) folks:
* when food is available, eat as much of it as possible (I think dogs are even more like this than we are)
* when you have a choice, select the food with the most calories
* expend as little energy as possible

But for most of us (first-world) folks, food is so cheap that we can get as much as we want. And we've re-engineered food to be insanely high in calories (especially donuts), adding sugar and fat to everything. (Mmm, donuts.)

And unless we have jobs that require physical labor, most of us are in a position where we really could get by without doing anything more strenuous than taking a shower or carrying groceries in from the car (unless we have little kids).

It's really just amazing to me how automatically I go about using as little energy as possible. For example, in public restrooms I automatically select one of the first open stalls. I always look for parking places near the building I'm driving to. I never feel like using the hand beaters instead of the electric beaters to make whipped cream. I take shortcuts when I'm walking. On the bus, I swing myself around the bar to get into and out of the seat, but it actually takes more balance and muscle to not use the bar. And these are only the things I've been noticing. The whole thing feels insidious!

Also, my hobbies tend to require my brain more than my muscles. My latest new hobby is writing daily in this online journal, for example. And over the past year I got into reading lots of fiction, which I haven't done since I went to college, and which has been wonderful. And I'm reading other people's journals. And I'm solving sudoku puzzles. And I'm getting to watch lots of movies. I greatly enjoy all these hobbies, but you begin to see my point.

I should try to look into some hobbies that require larger muscles than my finger muscles and eyeball muscles. The only muscle-using hobby I'm currently practicing is ballroom dance. (Also, bizarre lifestyle choices lead me to do more walking for transportation than most Americans do.) Other than that, well, I'm thinking of learning some more knitting. And I'd like to learn a couple of languages. And I'd like to do additional writing and web publishing. These are not helping.

I'd like to do more cooking--that at least involves standing. And stirring. It could involve kneading (bread dough), but I think I've been too efficient (lazy) for that in the past. I'd like to take more day trips that involve hiking. I'd like to try the pool at the new gym in Round Rock. And I'd like to get back into playing ultimate frisbee.

Okay, I'm seeing one problem now. In addition to being genetically programmed to avoid exercise whenever possible, I really like doing things at home now. I have a really awesome roommate (my boyfriend), so I never find myself wanting to get away. Day trips, swimming, and ultimate do not happen at my house.

That's so odd. Even though my house is often a big, giant mess, I still enjoy being here. The couch is always cleaned off. And the bed (which I like to use as a desk). (And the bathroom.) And the computer is always accessible. It's so easy to just hang around at home and find something fun to do.

Comments

[fraeuleinchen.livejournal.com]

In my life, I work consciously to reverse this irreversible modernization, within reason given my current circumstances. Wehn possible, I ride my bike to visit friends, to go the library or run other errands, for example to mail a letter which could just as easily be left in the mailbox with the flag up, for the postal worker to pick up on his next visit. Regarding cooking, I agree that stirring and standing can be good. I would also point out that food which is purposely cooked in a more labor-intensive (less simple - on purpose!) manner often has the effect of being healthier. One uses more raw ingredients (i.e. making bread from scratch or using fresh vegetables). That the food is less processed involves us more personally in what we eat (we worked to make it) and maybe helps us appreciate it better; in addition, the results may be more beneficial to us on a physical level. From a psychological standpoint, I think that this process of cooking from scratch can also be healing; it engages our creative selves, and hey, punching a lump of dough can do wonders for working out aggression (it also helps develop the gluten :)