It seems to me in a world where everyone is so obsessed by looks, appearances, body image etc., there would not be such an obesity problem–because you can change what your body looks like. You can’t do much about your face; if you’ve got an ugly one, you’re out of luck. Your body, however, can be shaped to your liking. So as I’m wondering why there are so many obese people, I realize it must be because they just don’t know. It boggles my mind that people are unaware that eating fast food is so terribly unhealthy for you, or that you have to get off your butt and move around a little!
Granted, there is a lot of bad information out there and a lot of people get confused and go wrong. How do you know which information is correct, and which is gibberish? I say look at nature and how things naturally occur. For instance, with working out, say you want to have nice shapely legs like a sprinter or jumper in the Olympics (maybe not to that extent, but you know). It makes sense to me that if nearly all sprinters have nice, muscle-y legs, you should work out like a sprinter;even if you aren’t one. They do bursts of powerful motion. They jump. They work their fast-twitch fibers. Next, look at cross country runners or long distance track runners. I know there are exceptions, but generally those dudes (and gals) are super skinny, with less muscle than the aforementioned sprinters. So, if your goal is to use up a lot of energy and lose weight, you should run long distances. And I mean long. Those guys are crazy, going for hour(s) long runs all the time.
The trick is to find the balance, because most people want both. And there are a lot of different ways to go about it. Obviously running isn’t the only way to loose weight or build muscle. Although it is one. Again thinking about nature, animals that run are lean–cheetahs, lions, gazelles, etc. But when perusing other options think about it logically and compare it to what you know based on your own observations and experiences. Have an open mind about trying new things, but be wary of programs that seem too good to be true. Use your common sense, people forget about it too often.
By: Ashley Dance
