“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” ~ Joseph Pilates

I read that just a few minutes ago and felt I needed to write a few words on this.

I think it’s safe to say every person understands the need to exercise in order to stay healthy.

One thing I have noticed through my experience training in a number of different methods of martial arts and physical fitness styles is that not every one (or group of practitioners) defines “Physical Fitness” the same way … and everyone has a different definition of what exactly is Fitness.

When I was in my mid-20s I weighed between 230 lbs to 250 lbs. This was because I was unhappy with my life and simply ate too much food and drank too much alcohol.
At the same time… I had this over-inflated ego from doing martial arts and thinking I was a tough guy.

It was a miserable combination. I was UNHAPPY.

So that quote from Joseph Pilates really hit a chord with me when I read it.

I was good at doing martial arts… so I got lazy because my ego thought it was great enough that I no longer had to work hard to accomplish things.

I was a fool.

I remember going out for a run back in 2002 when, after going just 2 blocks, I had to stop because my feet hurt from all the weight I was carrying, plus I couldn’t breathe (I was 230lbs around this time) .
I realized at that point… “You Have Some Serious F*cking Problems Dude”.

So… anyway … getting back to the quote from Joseph Pilates:
“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”

How do you define Physical Fitness though? To some people physical fitness is a definition that some State Board of Health or other governmental or medical association gives a rating to… and they think “Oh, that must be physical fitness since they say so.”

I don’t follow other people’s Ideas or Definitions on what is Physical Fitness.

To me… it is: How Am I Feeling On a Daily Basis? I exercise 7 days a week, follow a balanced training regimen that keeps me from over-working at part of my body over the course of the week, eat a Balanced & Healthy Diet with a LOT of Whole Grains and Animal Protein (I also haven’t taken any vitamin or mineral supplements since 1999).

When I told one person I did about 1,600 push-ups in one day, he blurted out (without even thinking first): “You’re gonna injure yourself!”… this was coming from a guy who never exercised. He was making an assumption based on books and magazines he’d read that convinced him that a human being could not possibly do 1,600 pushups.

If you can train every day, not let Office Work drive you crazy, be patient and forgiving to people you interact with on a day-to-day basis (NO YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE JESUS)… I mean, yeah, you are allowed to make mistakes… as Long as you are making a Real Effort and Seeing Results from one week to the next and one month to the next… you are making progress.

When I was 230lbs. and I made the commitment to get myself back in shape, I told myself, no more reading books or magazines on fitness… no more taking bad advice from people trying to sell you one B.S. product or another… I would listen to my own body and judge myself accordingly.

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” ~ Joseph Pilates
… This is True Wisdom.
Believe in Yourself.
By Gregory Soon
http://www.gregorysoon.com

 I’d also like to include a comment I received from Gary David* on the above article:
Gary David at 1:20pm March 20
Hi Gregory. . . First, I notice the leap you made when you realized: “You Have Some Serious F*cking Problems Dude”. I see that as a leap of meaningfulness triggered by facing the affect of shame. Shame can overwhelm, or be a gateway to learning. As for fitness, it is a word that has no general definition. Its meaning relies on the context in which … Read Moreit is used. Same with the words happiness, and body. Here’s my take:
If “body” is used in a scientific way, it is a body bounded by theory. If it’s a body viewed as an object, fitness depends on shape, feeling “good” or “bad” — pride or shame. Its boundary is the skin. The body as actually experienced is a “felt” or feeling body. Its boundary is attention. The degree that we can give interested-attention will determine the extent of what we can feel, and how far the body will “extend.” In that felt body, there are no objects, only movement, change, and other qualities. Fitness, then, indicates fluidity in dealing with change in affect.

* Note: http://www.jennerator.com/movingbodyresources/aboutus_teachers.asp#david