Some of you have seen Pixar's 2008 film WALL-E, which chronicles the existence of a solitary robot left to clean up a trashed Earth in the year 2805 while the remnants of humans are afloat in space on giant starliner ships. There are many lessons from the movie WALL-E, but the one I want to focus on is the poor state of humans in the film. With robots doing all labor, humans have become grossly obese. Not only do the humans not work, they move around on floating recliners rather than walk. In fact, the humans are even too lazy to chew their food, instead getting calories from smoothy drinks they consume from straws. Even though this movie is fiction, sometimes I wonder how far we are from this being reality. Rather than bikes and Big Wheels, many of the young kids I see drive motorized miniature cars, electric bicycles, and other powered scooters. With the current state of technology and the addiction to it, it seems like the only muscle groups that are getting worked out are the thumbs that work game controls or smart-phone keyboards. I often wonder if we are doomed to become the humans of WALL-E's 2805.
Years ago, I stopped to talk to my then-boss while we were both out running. Ten years my senior, he shared with me that the secret to good health is to sweat every day. I have thought about that short conversation many times. In today's day and age, most people do anything to avoid sweating -- parking air-conditioned cars as close as possible to air-conditioned store fronts to buy roll-on antiperspirants. We do not like to sweat, but the older I get, the more I tend to believe that it is hard to stay healthy without expending the calories to bring up a good sweat.
Technology is not bad -- in many instances it enhances and prolongs our lives. Yet, when we cease to exercise, our existence becomes poor at best. Sometimes it is painful to exercise, but if done right, the feeling afterwards is incredible. We know diamonds are formed due to heat and pressure. I encourage you to challenge yourself physically, so that you do more than live, but so that you live well.
I will keep myself physically strong.