While the mind activates the body, the body plays the master
Mobility is the trait that segregates the animal-kingdom from the Plant-kingdom. Man is the only creature that moves with a thoughtful purpose. Evidence is available that man, in 1.75 million years, walked his way from Africa out into the wilderness of the world. His generations walked to fertile destinations and adapted himself to the environment, settled and flourished as civilizations as he was capable of using his legs to walk at will.
From a crawling baby, to be able to walk to the age of hundred, calls for consistent and effective body movements, to relish the purpose of life. If sedentary lifestyle settles in, the body, by nature, craves for physical activities to subtend its mental aptitude. A person that does not move with purpose is “vegetating”. Life cannot be relished without effective movement and herein comes the requirement for a conscious effort to keep the body supple enough for effective movement through life, which is exercising.
It would be worthwhile to understand the physiology behind exercising the body. When in motion the lungs draw in more air than when at rest and is relative to the intensity of motion, be it purposeful or unintentional. Intense movement of the body parts pumps more blood into the lung which absorbs more oxygen that is vital to the physique and when the physique is active, the mind responds appropriately.
Soldiers are trained to be “near to perfect” physically and mentally for their intended purpose in life, they are trained professionally to be physically fit and mentally alert. Their time is appropriately distributed for physical and mental activities, whereas white collars very often, train to retain their mental acumen, ignoring requirements of the physique forgetting that a fit body alone can keep its mind active.
Even in circumstances of splendour, opulence, poverty or illness, children by nature are more active physically and mentally than adults, relative to their age, proving that the body needs to be effectively active to attain its perfection and purpose of life – to live effectively.
In current day living there are two distinct areas to make a living; one that uses only the brain where the body gets dull from misuse and the one that uses its body where the mind is dulled and both suffer from uncalled-for discomfort to the wholeness of life. Exercising the body and mentoring the mind is thus a balanced act for ultimate enjoyment of life. People with sedentary jobs, who use their extra time for sedentary leisure activities, are calling for physical trouble and those with physical jobs and engaging in physical leisure activities are prone to mental illness.
Exercises for the sedentary jobbers during leisure could include, but not altogether; swimming, jogging, cycling or simply walking, that are heart pumpers, to enable a boost of physical energy ensuring that there is a sweat break. Exercise for those with physical jobs could include reading, gardening, slow walking or any other, without sweat break. To keep legs capable of motion, it is necessary to ensure that they are capable of carrying the body effectively at will. Movement is comfort for the body and it satiates desires of the mind, but being able to move effectively with a purpose is the prerequisite for mind and body comfort.
We here are not discussing the likes of Stephen Hawking or Usain Bolt, but the usual human; they stand apart from the usual.
“Activate the body that has rested and rest the body that has acted” shall be the simple norm to a normal contended life.
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