Atheleticism is a hallmark of masculinity. And no wonder so many boys, adolescent and young men participate in competitive sports not only because they enjoy it, but it shapes, define and reinforces the male physique we’ve all come to immortalize since the Vitruvian Man was drawn or the Statue of David was chiseled.
Back when I used to swim and participate in track throughout school, I was fit and recovered quickly from any injuries. When I left school and started working, my leisure time dwindled and much energy was directed to building career and family. Little to no time was left for what was once daily happenstance. It’s the usual and familiar story and we all have our versions. I was fortunate enough that my base level of activity kept me generally fit. I learned to cook from mom and it’s a lifelong skill for eating well. But being more sedentary and loving salts and sweets, indulgence sometimes got the better part of me. So to stay fit, I focus on three things I had learned from my high school science classes.
Energy. Basic lesson from my high school physics has taught me that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. And that means, energy input (food) without an equal amount of output (activity) will simply mean that the excess will be stored. It’s not a daily equation, but in aggregate, if I eat more than required, I will see my body store energy better than any electronic devices I have. And the timing of ingestion is also critical. Like driving a car uphill, I step on the pedal and gas up to get more energy; and would ease off when going on a straight away or even downhill. Sometimes, if I need an extra boost, I’ll snack. Other times, I’ll even skip a meal.
Unbeknownst to me, my two miles on the treadmill each weekday during the entire lockdown racked up the distance of about 20 marathons per year. I couldn’t believe that in two years, I had run the distance of 40 marathons!
Time. It’s the eternal struggle to carve out a significant amount of time out of our own routines to go to the gym. And that’s why new year’s resolutions and concerted effort to ‘go to the gym’ are not sustainable. But in this case, time is not relative, but aggregate. During the pandemic when everything was closed and even going for a walk in the park was not permitted, I removed the stacks of boxes I had piled on top of the treadmill in the basement. I started by walking and then jogging ten minutes a day. Eventually, I ran up to two miles from Monday to Friday. Even if I had more time, I would stop. Unbeknownst to me, my two miles each weekday during the entire lockdown racked up the distance of about 20 marathons per year. I couldn’t believe that in two years, I had run the distance of 40 marathons! This isn’t something I would have done if I wasn’t sequestered at home. Running 20 marathons a year will undoubtedly transform any body!
Mechanical advantage. Like a pulley system, it is possible one can do more by using leverage. I discovered that isometric activities have significant advantages over isotonic ones. Isotonic exercises are ones that require the contraction or lengthening of muscles like pumping iron. Isometric exercises include calisthenics leveraging the individual’s own body weight to perform resistance with no gym equipment. Contracting to sustain two 45lb plates is comparatively easier than contracting to resist the pull of gravity of your own weight. In fact, the path to the elusive six-pack ab is faster through isometric exercises and almost all calisthenic athletes are more chiseled than either David or the Vitruvian Man.
There is hope for us overworked, constantly hurried dads with undeserving bods. And it requires no investment in equipment, membership, or even a significant amount of time. If we manage our food intake and explore non-impact activities, over time, our inner Adonis will be chiseled into form. That should be the dad bod standard!
