Just how important is physical fitness? I decided to employ a simple method to find out; I would ask random students in the Union and trainers from the Sanderson Center to make collage out of their answers. Maybe by standing back and looking at all the opinions at once, the truth could be discerned.
When an inquiry was given as to what people thought of others who try to achieve a pop-star-like physique, the results were pretty much unanimous. “That’s pretty dumb,” one brutally honest person quickly replied.
Another strongly opinioned boy gave an answer to clear the fog. “When someone is working out for better looks and not the advantages it gives, then that person is a fake.”
“When do you think someone has gone beyond the point of seeking just fitness,” I asked.
Some cited various obsessions, such as procrastinating against schoolwork or relationships in order to find the time for exercising. One boy feared that others might work themselves too hard attempting to change their genetically inborn physical aspects. A young woman mentioned one extreme-weighing too little-while a male trainer later named another: the use of steroids and other accelerants, which sadly continue to be discovered in most national athletic fields.
“So how important is a physically fit body when you’re interested in someone of the opposite sex,” I asked.
While one trainer jokingly declared that it’s both “a plus and a must,” another boy balanced that with, “If someone looks good, that’s just the way it is.”
Girls seemed to have the most rational thinking in this particular area.
“It’s what’s inside that counts, but if that person is already unhealthy, they should endeavor to get healthier,” replied one in The Union.
A female trainer said that a boy who shared her interests (health and fitness) would be ideal, unless he became obsessed.
Then came the big one. “How important do you think it is to have a physically fit body?” Surprisingly, every student replied that fitness is imperative.
“It’s pretty important, because if you’re not healthy, you can’t complete various tasks as well as you would otherwise,” one young woman said.
The trainers from the Sanderson Center were enlightening in response to this question.
“It’s very important. With exercise, you’d have a longer life, be more productive and energetic and feel better about yourself,” emphasized one. While the other trainer pointed out that “With exercise, ability increases. Later on, who wouldn’t want to be healthy in old age?”
I know I do. Would you like to be in one of those commercials where your brittle teeth break biting an apple? I didn’t think so.
As far as exercising goes for the average, non-athlete, the same trainer said that anyone trying to build strength should shoot for working out between three or four hours a week.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong.” Besides being dead, the guy is definitely onto something.