Great column, as usual, Kate! I say we organize a general disposal day for Jillian Michaels workouts! Which actually DID get us to workout regularly at home!
Love this, Kate. For most of my life I did not a whit of exersize for it's own sake, but instead, (fortunately for my health) just played games I loved, some of which turned out be demanding workouts. As a bonus, I met and married Rose through one such game, ultimate frisbee. Nowadays, my moring routine of planks and floor-stuff is mostly aimed at feeling better, i.e. not having a sore back. Anyway, as usual, I love your take on this. Thanks for another compelling read.
Thank you, Steve! You come at the whole question from what I always thought of as The Other Side — the athlete side. Maybe it's in my head or maybe it's the way sports are done in school, but it always seemed like there were literally two kinds of people: athletic and not. I always felt like a visitor on your side, if I ever did anything physical. Which is why movement was linked only to aesthetics. But maybe aging is making us both revisit our attitude toward exercise: COULD WE JUST PLEASE FEEL BETTER!
As always, a good read. But I'd like to offer one comment re footnote 1. The footnote says
"Yes, I realize I should be picturing men instead" which strongly suggests you're calling out men and not the mean girls. But knowing that you strive hard to not be sexist, then I propose a minor edit would be in order - something like "Yes, I realize that I should be picturing men also". I think the mean girls would approve.
Hmm. I'll have to think about that. Obviously women are complicit, but in terms of personifying three industries in terms of who's ultimately in charge and profiting . . . I'm not so sure it's a mixed group.
Certainly a fair point especially if including the three associated industries. But those three represent but a tiny fraction of men dominated industries - which I think would make another great piece for you to think/write about, something like - how men have successfully managed to screw up almost everything from the beginning of time. I expect there'd be lots and lots of comments to that one - to the point where Substack might need additional servers to handle it. Keep up the great columns. Best.
Love this. I dumped my nutritionist because she was trying to get me to eat even less than I already do (severe food allergies/intolerances).
I, too, would love someone to just tell me what to do (like a Kim), but will settle for hour-long walks with my friend twice a week instead. I'd love one of those trial memberships to How to Move! Thanks for offering! 🥰
I’ve always considered a pull-up, which I can do well, and a pistol squat, which I cannot, the perfect pair of aspirational movements. My thus-far failed attempts to master the latter did, however (or so I’m convinced), enable me to recover from a potentially nasty fall the other day. An Algerian man who witnessed my miraculous return-to-vertical from a nearby car yelled out “sportif!” Exercise redeemed.
I’ve learned to trick myself into exercising. Nothing too extreme, just stretching, working on core and glutes, plus some weights. I do all my exercises while watching tv. I watch shows I really like and only allow myself to watch them while I’m exercising. So I may not want to exercise, but I do want to watch “Private Eyes,” so I’ll exercise.
Yes, I believe there's a name for this, where you pair something you don't want to do with a treat. It's how I watched stationary cycled through all of "Bridgerton"
Ooh I’d love a one month subscription if you have any left!
Done! It should be in your email. Enjoy ❤️
Great column, as usual, Kate! I say we organize a general disposal day for Jillian Michaels workouts! Which actually DID get us to workout regularly at home!
Love this, Kate. For most of my life I did not a whit of exersize for it's own sake, but instead, (fortunately for my health) just played games I loved, some of which turned out be demanding workouts. As a bonus, I met and married Rose through one such game, ultimate frisbee. Nowadays, my moring routine of planks and floor-stuff is mostly aimed at feeling better, i.e. not having a sore back. Anyway, as usual, I love your take on this. Thanks for another compelling read.
Thank you, Steve! You come at the whole question from what I always thought of as The Other Side — the athlete side. Maybe it's in my head or maybe it's the way sports are done in school, but it always seemed like there were literally two kinds of people: athletic and not. I always felt like a visitor on your side, if I ever did anything physical. Which is why movement was linked only to aesthetics. But maybe aging is making us both revisit our attitude toward exercise: COULD WE JUST PLEASE FEEL BETTER!
I love the analogy to controlled substances for the exercise books--we have to get them out of our system.
As always, a good read. But I'd like to offer one comment re footnote 1. The footnote says
"Yes, I realize I should be picturing men instead" which strongly suggests you're calling out men and not the mean girls. But knowing that you strive hard to not be sexist, then I propose a minor edit would be in order - something like "Yes, I realize that I should be picturing men also". I think the mean girls would approve.
Hmm. I'll have to think about that. Obviously women are complicit, but in terms of personifying three industries in terms of who's ultimately in charge and profiting . . . I'm not so sure it's a mixed group.
Certainly a fair point especially if including the three associated industries. But those three represent but a tiny fraction of men dominated industries - which I think would make another great piece for you to think/write about, something like - how men have successfully managed to screw up almost everything from the beginning of time. I expect there'd be lots and lots of comments to that one - to the point where Substack might need additional servers to handle it. Keep up the great columns. Best.
Love this. I dumped my nutritionist because she was trying to get me to eat even less than I already do (severe food allergies/intolerances).
I, too, would love someone to just tell me what to do (like a Kim), but will settle for hour-long walks with my friend twice a week instead. I'd love one of those trial memberships to How to Move! Thanks for offering! 🥰
Coming right up!
Thank you! 😊
I’ve always considered a pull-up, which I can do well, and a pistol squat, which I cannot, the perfect pair of aspirational movements. My thus-far failed attempts to master the latter did, however (or so I’m convinced), enable me to recover from a potentially nasty fall the other day. An Algerian man who witnessed my miraculous return-to-vertical from a nearby car yelled out “sportif!” Exercise redeemed.
Jason, I also cannot do a dang pistol squat. I've found I can live without it, lol.
Pistol squat! Brutal! That's what Anna Maltby told me her husband aimed for . . . and gradually achieved. I'm pulling for you!
I’ve learned to trick myself into exercising. Nothing too extreme, just stretching, working on core and glutes, plus some weights. I do all my exercises while watching tv. I watch shows I really like and only allow myself to watch them while I’m exercising. So I may not want to exercise, but I do want to watch “Private Eyes,” so I’ll exercise.
Yes, I believe there's a name for this, where you pair something you don't want to do with a treat. It's how I watched stationary cycled through all of "Bridgerton"
Dopamine anchoring!
there’s a band name in there somewhere