—
Winters in Missouri are not conducive to outdoor activities like they are in Colorado. Winter in Missouri means a few months of actual misery — staying indoors, avoiding the roads, and waiting for spring. Years ago, on one of these Missouri winters, I found myself too inactive for my own good. I felt like I needed a way to get moving. With snow and ice on the ground, I could only think of one way to try and get my activity level up. I joined a local “Globo” gym. After several months, I found I was getting no benefit from daily visits. In fact, I may have seen my body comp and strength get worse over those few months. Here are some reasons why I think that gym membership was bad for me:
- EMF –There are TVs and electronics all over the place. “Among the more commonly reported (negative effects to EMF exposure) are sleep disturbance/insomnia, headache, depression/depressive symptoms, fatigue/tiredness, dysesthesia, concentration/attention dysfunction, memory changes, dizziness, irritability, loss of appetite/body weight, restlessness/anxiety, nausea, skin burning/tingling/dermographism and EEG changes.” Source.
- No Natural Light- This particular gym was a storefront. The only available natural light was from the windows at the gym’s entrance. The further you went in, the darker it got
- Fluorescent Light- Not getting any natural sucks, being exposed to fluorescent light is even worse.
- Dr. Phil, FOX News, Dr. Oz, and other garbage on TV that you can’t avoid looking at while on the treadmill- This negative flow of information is the last thing you want while you are trying to improve your health.
- The People- The gym is full of unhappy, unhealthy, sick people to include the employees. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.” Proverbs 13:20. Replace “wise” with “healthy” in this case.
- It’s just gross- The locker room, the floor (where I mostly trained), and the equipment
- Bad bad music- If you forget your earbuds, you’re screwed.
- There is nothing natural and beautiful to look at (T and A not included)- No trees, rocks, blue skies, animals… nothing.
- Meatheads- Nuff Said
You are the result of your environment. Is it possible that “Globo” gyms actually produces the opposite of what you are looking for? One thing that stood out in the movie “Fed Up” was that both the obesity rate and gym memberships doubled between the years of 1980 and 2000. Maybe these two numbers are just a coincidence but then again, maybe not. Regardless, I think you are more apt to get the results you are looking for by moving and training outside. I mean, Rocky beat Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. Drago had a top of the line and modern training facility while Rocky trained… outside.
Being outside and playing in the dirt and grass, especially barefoot, is extremely beneficial. Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Exposure to good bacteria- Soil-based probiotics are some of the best you can buy. Coming in contact with actual soil is not only good for you but a lot cheaper.
- Getting grounded to the earth- Coming in contact directly with the earth allows it’s energy to flow through your body neutralizing the EMF you pick up in your everyday life. You can actually see the voltage of your body drop if you were to measure it with a voltmeter.
- Coming in contact with the natural terrain of the earth- Straight lines and perfectly flat surfaces don’t exist in nature. Holding on to a tree branch, for example, sends signals to your brain that you are in your natural environment; this as an impact on every cell in your body. Again, you are the result of your environment.
- Vitamin D from the sun– I’m not sure if supplementing vitamin D even works. Might as well let your body make it’s own. An alarming number of health issues have been linked to a vitamin D deficiency. These include skeletal diseases like osteoporosis, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, psychological disorders, cognitive disorders, and obesity. Keep in mind that only 20% of our vitamin D is meant to come from our diet with the remaining 80% provided by our skin from UV-B exposure to the sun.
- Rest for your eyes- Looking at things close up, i.e., computer screens, books, dry erase boards, and projector screens require you to contact your “eye muscles.” Looking at objects that are far away is a resting position for your eyes. When was the last time you looked at something far off in the distance?
I find it that you won’t get any of these health benefits “working out” in the gym, the very reason you go to the gym.
—
This post was previously published on Medium and is republished here with the author’s permission.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Want to submit your story about topics like these? Join our Writer’s Community here:
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive resources for writers once or twice per week.
Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash