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Let’s Get Physical

Vantage Points Header Joel Elveson

Let’s get physical, physical. I wanna get physical. Let’s get into physical. Let me hear your body talk, body talk. Let me hear your body talk. Let’s get animal, animal. I wanna get animal. Let’s get into animal. Let me hear your body talk. Let em hear your body talk.”[su_spacer]

THIS DREADFUL song was written in 1981 and performed by Olivia Newton-John who is an English-born Australian singer, songwriter and actress. The title of this “song” inspired me to write an article on the subject of physical as in physical fitness and the importance thereof.

Last evening I was on-line at one of these discount stores that sell a wide variety of items for very low prices waiting to pay for my purchases. Resting on the candy rack just to the right of me near the register was lo and behold a pink Spalding ball. These balls were used in a variety of children’s games and something called handball where you would slap the ball against a high concrete wall or any wall for that matter and keep the ball from getting past you by repeatedly slapping it. Physical!

These balls were also great for playing stickball where a stickball bat or broomstick was used to hit the ball. Part of this game was running bases. Physical. Hit the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball, run after the ball. Physical. Superballs (I think that’s what they were called) which were hard rubber balls that were compressed so as to bounce very high and in multiple directions. They great for chasing after.

The sight of children and adults engaging in makeshift sporting events (Frisbee tossing) has become increasingly rare. Just as rare in many areas of the country is the sight of kids riding their bikes all over town or riding alongside their parents or siblings. Riding a bicycle can have positive effects on your cardio system in addition to burning calories depending of course how fast and how far you pedal.

Instead of buying children bikes, bats, balls, wagons, etc. invariably they are bought an ipad, tablet or some sort of smart phone. These devices (I admit to being an addict) are great but provide no physical stimulation. If anything kids and adults alike hate to put the device down so they eat while texting or playing games. Poor digestion with a very good chance of not being cognizant of the caloric content of what you have just eaten.

In light of the fact the Justice Antonin Scalia was cut down by a heart attack which kills millions of people each year with an astounding number being of these attacks that could have been prevented by more regular physical exercise . Diet plays a major role but since I am not a dietician nor a person that can claim to eat any semblance of a “proper diet” I will avoid this subject.

On Sunday my wife and I were walking around our neighborhood (love Brooklyn, NY USA) in search of a pair of sneakers for her. To my surprise we now have “shoes” that are designed specifically for walking or running. I thought all shoes for designed for walking (not to mention the odd mad dash for one thing or another) and that all sneakers were appropriate for running. All that aside we returned home from our jaunt feeling sore and tired. When you think about it a walk of this type should not have left us feeling this way. It underscored the fact that we have not been getting enough physical exercise which considering we are both diabetics is not conducive for keeping the destruction of vital organs that diabetes wreaks havoc on. We have not been physical or gotten into physical enough.

We don’t need a physical fitness week or $100 walking or running shoes (sorry Nike) but do need (as do our kids) a regular dose of exercise. I am not trying to be preachy especially since a person with my body proportions (aka overweight) is in no position to advise somebody else what is healthy or what is not. Coming home tired and sore was a wake-up call before the wake-up call of chest pains or disturbing signs appear that it is indeed time to “get into physical.”

Get up from your desk and stretch. Go for long walks when possible. Ride a bike. Jog or go running (you can listen to music from your device at the same time) play touch football, swim, jump rope or just about any type of physical activity. Swimming is great unless you are like me and never learned how Physical. Let’s get into physical for all of our sakes. We will perform our jobs better while generally feeling better.

You can join a gym and become an “animal” but body building/sculpting is not necessarily being in shape but rather nothing more than a cosmetic display designed to implant in your mind looking like a body builder with rippling muscles equates health when I fact all that muscle carriers extra weight.

So let’s all get physical and listen to our bodies telling us we are okay.

Joel Elveson
Joel Elvesonhttps://jelveson.wixsite.com/recruitersite
INDEPENDENT Executive Recruiting By Joel is an "up and coming" Executive Search Firm formed and headed up by Joel Elveson whose visionary ideas, leadership & creativity have brought to life a more "user-friendly" approach to recruiting. His clients and candidates form powerful strategic partnerships that we use to help you. Joel’s Firm offers Permanent, Temporary (case by case), & Temporary To Permanent staffing solutions for all of your Human Capital Requirements. Contract IT/Consultants are available if needed. Above and beyond they are experts (by way of their personal industry work experience) with mortgage, mortgage banking, middle-market banking, accounting, along with many others under the vast financial spectrum of disciplines. Their business goes beyond candidate recruiting as they also train, mentor and develop your internal recruiting staff with an eye towards helping you reduce the cost of hiring. They will also work in areas such as compensation, effective onboarding processes and alike. In other words, their business is to help your business by becoming an extension of you by filling in gaps that cause delay or waste. The recruiting methods employed by Joel’s team are time tested that results in a high rate of successful placements. Joel was trained in the art of recruiting by some of the top staffing industry executives in addition to the best recruiter trainers who to this day drive me to exceed the lofty goals he has set forth.

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13 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Great, relevant article Joel and at 67 I agree completely. It takes 30 minutes to an hour a day to maintain your health. 1/24th of your day can lift your spirit, extend your life and improve your stamina and attitude. Thanks buddy I needed that. J

    • This article would be even more beneficial if I followed my own advice. Your comment is right on the money. So when are you putting out that album of all your poems? You are too talented to not give your poems the exposure they deserve.

  2. Great article Joel. I just turned 66 so I realize the importance of getting up and getting out. I walk my dogs every day and work out on my home gym while listening to some very loud music. Thank you for the kind reminder that we need to get up and move

    • Larry,
      Thank you for your very kind comment. What you are doing is great! Some of us (me amongst them) do not follow this advice no matter who gives it. I am 62 but I look younger. My diabetes other than a period of going blind my diabetes has not affected me nor has being overweight. Anything can happen at any time. The people who have the worst habits are DOCTORS!

    • By the way, insurance people never have the right amount of insurance, mortgage bankers or mortgage bankers rarely buy a house.

  3. Allow me to make one more comment. I LOVE that Let’s Get Physical song. In fact I heard it in the grocery store last week and seriously was right back where I was when it was popular. I cleaned houses and could vacuum circles around everyone listening to amazing songs – or even not so amazing. Music is energy.

  4. Totally with you here, Joel. I know everything you said is true, even the fact that going out for a walk shouldn’t have made you sore and tired, but it did. Interesting that you picked up on that immediately. Lots of folks complain of aches and pains, blaming it on aging. That is only partially true and the folks I’m referring to would rather have the pain than actually do something to prevent it. I am not at all talking about people who have chronic pain and disease that causes pain. I used to belong to a gym and 5 days a week at 5:30 am I was in the studio taking a class. Now that I’m retired and don’t live close to a gym it is a LOT harder to get off the couch or away from my desk and exercise with friends on my TV screen. I hope your exercise program works out well for you. My favorite exercise is walking and I can literally walk hours and never get bored. But still – having a friend or spouse along for the journey is a tremendous perk. If I just say the word exercise to my husband he can be out the door in .010 seconds flat. He hates it. But fortunately I don’t.

    • Hi Jane,
      Thank you for reading my article along with providing me with your comments. I need to increase my exercise program since I found out yesterday from going to my doctor that I have gained weight. My snacking habits are costing me dearly. I don’t watch TV so I can’t use that as an excuse. You don’t need a gym but you do need the will power and determination to control weight. My doctor taught some amazingly simple exercises that will help me lose my stomach and increase muscle tone. Thank you so much again for reading and commenting. Much success to you.

    • If you can make it a rule – nothing after 8:00 pm. I learned that in a class in 1997 and I have never forgotten it. I know overall, your output has to exceed or at least equal input to lose weight, but the nothing after 8:00 pm has helped me. So far I don’t need to lose weight but as far as keeping aches and pains of aging away, keeping a strong core is overall a mandatory health goal. Your back and stomach muscles are important for everything from cardio to flexibility.

    • It’s not so much after 8:00 pm routine that’s the problem it’s my late night ( between 3:00am-4:00am) that is a big problem since I sleep poorly. I have a bevy of health issues which means weight control is essential. Knowing what you have to do and doing it are two different things. Thank you for your wonderful advice.

    • Jane,
      I happen to be my own worst enemy. Although I am diabetic I still eat a lot of chocolate. Once a week I go for an extended walk in another part of Brooklyn. That is usually the extent of my exercise. Long walks don’t bother me even when I take them while carrying heavy bags of groceries. Carrying the heavy bags of groceries up the stairs to a subway platform leaves me winded but only for a short period of time. This has helped keep my weight stable even though I am overweight. Thank you, Jane, for reading my article in addition to providing me with your comments.

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