My favorite way to think about working out and eating for your body is to reach a ‘purpose-built’ state. There’s a primal empowerment that comes with being aptly ready to survive an apocalypse or at least have a better fighting chance than most. We’ve gotten away from optimizing our body for survival and instead care about looking good naked or emulating the newest Instagram model. I don’t find those things relevant or fulfilling. Just like the richest person at the charity gala might feel powerful, the strongest/most agile individual will be feeling pretty great when running down 30 flights of stairs in the event of an earthquake. Granted, these things aren’t likely to happen tomorrow but bear with my brain dump of shower thoughts here (all my blog really is). Prioritizing exercise and eating well can allow you to make the most of your experiences and prepare you for unexpected moments where brains and money don’t matter, just your primal skills and physical effectiveness.
When in Berlin, I walked over 30,000 steps a day, the best way to truly see a city. In Hawaii, I jam-packed every day with surfing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, etc. I have daily walks to and from my WeWork and gym up near 90 degree classic SF hills. In Iceland, I walked miles in snow to the nearest civilization when our car broke down in the middle of no where. In Yosemite, I had to re-hike a 8 mile trail after leaving a backpack at the top. In college, I carried my inebriated best friend 7 blocks home to bed. I’ve traveled abroad over 4 times this year and I haven’t had jet lag since before starting keto. I moved my own furniture up a flight of stairs when I switched to the corner unit above me. Check out all those non-apocalypse applications.
Prior to the agricultural revolution 12,000 years ago, our ancestors didn’t have the concept of exercise. They had the concept of surviving. Their bodies were sculpted from field work, foraging, running from lions, chasing buffalo, and building huts. Imagine what a caveman would think if they were to observe an Equinox pilates class or a Crossfit WOD today…pretty amusing. But we need these things now because consumerism, delivery, ecommerce, supply chain, transportation, etc. reduce the need for us to physically do anything to survive. A freelancer today could literally sit at home, order groceries on Instacart, order laundry service on Rinse, order basic needs on Amazon, FaceTime a friend for human interaction, work on projects on their laptop and never leave their place. I don’t think that’s considered an ideal life to most people, but kind of crazy to contemplate the contrast in today’s resources vs. just 12,000 years ago. Especially considering for 2 million years, not much changed for the homo species by way of tools or technology. But I digress. Shift your motivation from being Instagram-Ready to being Purpose-Built. Much cooler.