Fit To Live

Let me ask you a question: Are you happy with the person you see in the mirror every morning? I’m not just talking about your personality or the way you treat other people…we’ll touch on that later. I’m talking about your physical appearance. Are you happy with your body the way it is, or do you want to improve it somehow? You know, lose some weight, gain some muscle…get “ripped.”

I think most people realize that being overweight has impacts on their overall health, but there is often a disconnect when it comes to understanding a healthy lifestyle . How about some fun facts to drive that last statement home?

According to the CDC, the percentage of adults in the U.S. over 20 who are overweight and/or obese is 41.9%. This is in reference to the National Health Examination Survey 2017 - 2020. (CDC, Obesity and Overweight, 2022).

Whoa! Put down the donuts and hold the cream on my latte.

Working as a therapist in a nursing home for 10 years, I can tell you from experience that most of the people who end up in that environment these days are there because of diseases associated with obesity. Not old age, not dementia. You can “Google” me on that one if you want, but it’s the truth. It’s one of the reasons I decided to leave the profession. I can help people with all kinds of physical issues but I can’t change a mindset.

Despite the fact that we all know being overweight is not healthy, there has been a push recently to not only accept, but celebrate obesity as an alternative lifestyle. You’ve got be kidding. That’s like saying chain-smoking is an alternative lifestyle. And as more data comes out about the pandemic, you can’t argue with the fact that despite other causative factors, obesity and associated diseases played a key role in the death rates from Covid. “Google” me on that one too.

Can we all just agree that eating a sensible diet and getting a fair amount of regular exercise is a good thing? But what does it mean to be physically fit? Here are the questions I typically ask my wellness clients and martial arts students: Does your body do everything you want it to do? (That’s actually an important question). Do you want to challenge yourself? Do you believe you are physically, emotionally and mentally prepared to deal with extremely stressful and/or dangerous situations? Is your “go to” stress reliever food, drugs or alcohol?

Notice, none of these questions have to do with physical appearance. That’s because I believe physical fitness, or what I like to call physical “readiness,” has little to do with appearance. Being overweight or obese is certainly not healthy, but neither is going on extreme fad diets or killing your body to fit it into a bathing suit for a few months. And while some people may love to show off their toned, chiseled abs on various social media outlets, the truth is that not everybody’s DNA is designed for body sculpting. And that’s ok.

One of the few people I would personally consider a karate master was a man I had the honor to study under many years ago. He was no Van Damme; short, stocky, built like a fireplug. There were no rippling muscles, no six-pack abs. But he could pull a 10-12 hour shift as a deputy sheriff and then vigorously teach karate class for a couple hours four days a week. He never ate fast food, had a few beers every week but his physical training was arduous and consistent. His body was a product of his devotion to the art and he was by far, one of the scariest and fittest men I’ve ever met.

Training with people like him helped me to develop my general understanding of physical readiness. Here’s the thing: your physical appearance is a product of your physical and mental discipline. I tell aspiring martial arts students all the time that functional fitness is a natural outcome of consistent and challenging training on and off the mat. Taking martial arts for self-defense? Well then, you have to eat for it, train for it, and discipline yourself for the possibility of a confrontation that you hope never happens. Do all those things consistently and you have a much better chance of survival.

In the process, you will most likely enjoy your life a lot more. The same holds true for people not into martial arts. Don’t let appearance be your main reason for hitting the gym or starting a diet. As a matter of fact, don't start a diet; just make better food choices and avoid eating things that bacteria won’t eat. Walk, hike, take the steps. Park your car far away from the store. Little changes are easier and lead to bigger ones if you are serious about getting healthy. Do more (and less) of what you’re doing now because you want to be around for a while and you want to enjoy your stay.

Easy day.

Dave Magliano

Tatsu Dojo

Jissenkan Budo

Dojo Cho