Dec 7, 2023 - Don’t be a slave to your body
Practicing gratitude, stepping away from harmful addictions, and my favorite exercise for hip mobility
Welcome to Climb Today’s Mountain!
We all have a nagging voice in the back of our head, reminding us to work out more often, pay attention to our complicated emotions, make the most of our relationships, and get time back from our busy lives. Sometimes we just need an accessible path to be opened to us, one that doesn’t require a New Years Resolution commitment.
In this series, I compile wisdom from other writers and historical figures on how to improve your mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational fitness. I provide a key takeaway and actionable steps that you can take today, this week, and this month to improve your life, starting now!
Don’t miss one of my favorite mobility exercises below!
Don’t be a slave to your body
I confess that we all have an inborn affection for our body; I confess that we are entrusted with its guardianship. I do not maintain that the body is not to be indulged at all; but I maintain that we must not be slaves to it.
He will have many masters who makes his body his master, who is over-fearful in its behalf, who judges everything according to the body. We should conduct ourselves not as if we ought to live for the body, but as if we could not live without it. Our too great love for it makes us restless with fears, burdens us with cares, and exposes us to insults.
Virtue is held too cheap by the man who counts his body too dear. We should cherish the body with the greatest care; but we should also be prepared, when reason, self-respect, and duty demand the sacrifice, to deliver it even to the flames.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Takeaway
Modern conveniences have increased our leisure time while decreasing our physical workload to accomplish routine tasks like cleaning, traveling, and eating. We have machines to wash our clothes and dishes, heat and cool our houses, and transport us quickly from place to place. For most of our ancestors, housekeeping, cutting wood or gathering tinder, and tending to animals and equipment that aided transportation filled all the free hours of the day.
We have so much leisure time that by historical standards, we’d be considered kings and queens, but we have some unique stressors of our own. Sloth, one of the 7 Deadly Sins, is ever present in our lives. If we give Sloth ownership of our free hours—such as surrendering to harmful addictions like scrolling on our phone for hours, watching pornography, overconsuming food, alcohol, or drugs—we are not caring for our bodies the way they deserve. As Seneca said, we should not live for our body; instead, we should live as if we must spend the rest of our lives living inside it. This approach combines self-respect with gratitude to help us treat our bodies and minds the way they deserve to be treated.
Application
In this moment: Whenever you find yourself with nothing to do, instead of reaching for your phone or whatever you use to fill your leisure hours, take a few quiet moments to reflect on how fortunate you are to have that free time.
In this week: Pay attention to how you feel in the moments before, during, and after you engage in Slothful behavior that you know is not helpful for your mental or physical health. Record your feelings in a journal for a few days and notice similar trends of behavior without judgment or piling on more shame.
In this month: Ask yourself, “Does my body need more indulgence, or does it need to be exposed to the flames of self-respect and discipline?” Don’t assume that you’ll be able to change your habits immediately. Instead, seek opportunities to physically or mentally distance yourself from the object of your addiction, by:
Going for a walk without your phone
Visiting a new coffee shop with a book or journal (leave the phone behind)
Working on a puzzle or playing a boardgame with a friend
Doing a 5-10 minute workout
Share your progress!
Bonus content - My favorite mobility exercise this week!
Mobility training is often overlooked in exercise, in lieu of cardio and weight training. The lack of mobility training is often expressed as: “I must be getting old, I’m so stiff I can barely touch my toes.” The big difference between mobility and flexibility is that mobility improves range of motion for joints and surrounding muscle areas, while stretching lengthens muscles.
Incorporating a few minutes of mobility training each day can begin reversing the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, improve your body posture, reduce muscle knots, and increase the longevity of your joints.
Cossack squat
Difficulty level: moderate to hard
The Cossack squat strengthens and stabilizes your hip joint, while stretching your hip adductor along your inner thigh. The movement is a half squat on one leg, while the other leg is straightened out. Stand with feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointing slightly out, and lower yourself slowly down on one leg, while keeping the heel of that foot firmly planted on the ground. Once you’ve reached the end of your range of movement, stand back up to the starting position and do a Cossack squat on the other leg.
Watch this video on how to do the Cossack squat.
Modifications
If you are too stiff or off balance to perform the movement, don’t force it. Use a chair or wall to stabilize you while lowering into the squat. Over time, with consistent repetitions, your hips will start to open up.
Holding a weight in your hands can act as a counterbalance, allowing you to sink more deeply into the stretch at the bottom. Be careful not to use too much weight starting out, to prevent any injuries.
Let us know how you put this week’s ideas into practice. Have a great weekend!