I actually went to church yesterday, assuming you consider the Unitarian Universalist Church a church at all – and I do – to hear my favorite minister talk about fitness. I quote the Rev. Scott Alexander: "I am passionately persuaded that you cannot have spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health, that fullness of human life and being which makes life worth living, unless you regularly and rigorously also take proper care of your body." He outlined the roots of our tragic disconnect from our bodies, quoting Descartes thus: "I am really distinct from my body and can exist without it." Yikes.
Scott went on to remind us that the feds have recently increased the recommended amount of weekly exercise from three times, 20 minutes each to "a full hour of exercise most days of the week, ideally every day." Having deliberatly done my work-out before leaving for church, I enjoyed a moment of smugness and nodded in agreement as he scolded the congregation.
Then today, like the farm woman that I sometimes think I am, I hauled dirt and mulch and plants and did lots of digging – for five hours. After which I gave my myself permission to skip the official work-out, and for the thousandth time I felt lucky that what I love to do is also good for me – in all the ways that Scott promised.
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Yes. Gardening is so fun and healthy at the same time. By the way, I’m for turning all of D.C.’s streets into a bike path.
Amen.