Michael's Corner

I am a blogger. I am also a novelist. More importantly, I am a devoted husband, loving father, and a recent grandfather. But I couldn’t be a, b, c, d, or e, with any measure of effectiveness, if not for f: Being a friend of physical fitness.

Thus far, in my life and times, I’ve owned many cars: a Renault Alliance, a Chevy Camaro, a Mazda 626, a Honda Accord, an Acura MDX, and an Audi Q3. Funny thing, but during that span of 45 years, which saw six cars, I’ve had only one body. And here’s an even funnier thing: no matter how many cars I’ll eventually own, I’m still gonna have the same body. So, one might theorize, properly caring for that “same old body” is a damn important initiative. In other words, if I total my body the way one might total a car, my insurance company won’t cut me a check for a replacement. Moreover, the only technology available (that I’m aware of) for existing apart from a totaled body is death, and that’s a real bummer.

Okay, so that was my anecdotal way of intimating the importance of physical fitness. And now that we’ve made our New Year’s resolution to incorporate exercise into our lives, a word to the wise: Our bodies are no different than our palates; just as we wouldn’t want to eat the same food every day, our muscles also get bored. (Meatloaf again!) So we have to switch up the routine. We’re more likely to sustain a lifelong commitment to physical fitness if we approach it with a sense of novelty. For example, recently, I changed venues. Typically, when working out at home, I’ll put on a ball game or podcast and hop on my Total Gym (the apparatus Chuck Norris used to promote). Recently, I dragged my dumbbells, kettlebells, and jump rope onto the back patio and have been working out in the frigid winter air. The change has added excitement; I can’t wait to get at it. And it came with an unexpected bonus: working out with cold air filling my lungs has helped me sleep much better. So put on a liner, your favorite hoodie, and a knitted hat, and get out into the open air! Nighty-night.