So, I've been trying to exercise more lately. I was doing much better at the "more" aspect when I wasn't teaching and had a lot of flexibility in my schedule. Once the semester started the frequency of my exercise sessions declined to the point where I was justifying my stroll to and from work (about 15 minutes each way) as a reasonable substitute for the sweat inducing activity that I was previously pushing myself to do.
The biggest hurdle to doing any kind of intense physical activity (like walking four miles) is just getting started. I usually have to start by convincing myself that it is necessary for my physical health and well-being and more important than any of the other delay tactics. Usually though the thing that gets me moving is the guilt associated with the ice cream or other treats that I indulged in.
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| A stink bug feeding on a spring flower. |
Tonight though, I've discovered another reason to put the ole tennis shoes on; I have really great ideas when I'm exercising. Maybe it is the repetitive nature of the movement or that my mind is starved for oxygen in order to keep my heart going but I find that these great thoughts pop into my head. For example, about the time I completed my first lap of twelve, I was thinking about blogging, and I thought, "Hey, maybe I should start an 'International League of Scientists' blog and invite scientists from all over the world to join, follow, comment, raise concerns about the various issues related to science, politics, etc." Then, I thought, I could probably earn an income from such a blog and get public speaking engagements about science and politics and possibly end up as the science adviser to the President which would be far less stressful than being an assistant professor seeking tenure. By the fifth lap, all kinds of ideas for poems, stories, businesses, research projects were just flowing as my feet were pounding and the calories were burning. I was having fun with these ideas, fantasies really, and wish I had more time and courage to try some of them out. Next time I might just take a pen and paper and write some of them down. Who knows, there might be a winner in there somewhere. At the very least, it made the time spent exercising much more enjoyable and less painful.
