In my defense, the wi-fi was out at the hotel we're staying at. I should have scheduled a post for today in the event that happens, but now I know that I should do that thing.
I'm currently on a school trip until Wednesday; we're doing cool Shakespeare-y things at cool theaters and stuff. More on that when we get back to school.
Tonight, however, I'm writing about working out - going to the gym and stuff.
Most of the time, when I tell people I'm trying to work out and get in shape, the first thing they say is, "but you look fine. You don't need to go to the gym." This doesn't help.
I do need to go to the gym. The CDC recommends that adults get 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week (half an hour, five days a week), or 1.25 hours of vigorous exercise per week (15 minutes, five days a week). I did that in high school. During 2014, I didn't really do that. I didn't really eat too well, either. I'm not expecting myself to get back to my high school level of fitness, but I do expect myself to get onto a healthy track. Though weight loss is part of my goal, it is only one part. Going to the gym every day is more important than the number on the scale.
What troubles me is how people react to my announcement that I'm Trying To Be Healthier - the gut reaction of "oh, you look fine, you don't need to go to the gym more often." The implication seems to be that there's only one reason for going to the gym - to lose weight. Again, weight loss is a part of the goal, but not the whole goal. My bigger goal is to lower my mile time and increase my muscle training. If that means my weight stays the same, so be it. There are more important things than the number on the scale.
I can't help but wonder, though, why people keep telling me that I look fine and that I don't need to go to the gym. People on sports teams aren't told that they look fine and don't have to go to the gym. People who are already very fit and muscular aren't told that they don't need to go to the gym; those folks are expected to be in the gym every day. So why not me, too? Why not everyone?
It could be that people are trying to be complimentary when they say these things - that does seem like the overt sentiment. Somehow, though, it seems like there's something underlying that compliment. It seems as if the people are saying, "you shouldn't go to the gym. I don't go to the gym. You look reasonably fit, and if you're increasing your gym time, I feel bad about myself because I haven't gone to the gym all semester, and I want to maintain my good body image, so please don't increase your gym time because now I feel worse about myself."
In the end, it doesn't matter wherefore or whether people think I should or should not work out more. The only thing that really matters is maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes increased time working out. If people are insecure about maintenance of health, maybe they should look at their own health and why they're insecure about it.
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