By Ian Roth
After years of being trapped in gyms, defined by fads, and motivated by profits, fitness is undergoing a renaissance in the form of street workouts and a return to old school calisthenics. These can include any exercise involving the manipulation of bodyweight with the most common examples being push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. The range of possibilities, however, is limited only by the practitioner’s strength, flexibility, balance, and creativity. Such exercise is preferable to the standard gym fair for a number of reason. As opposed to weightlifting, bodyweight exercises (properly performed) will actually strengthen your joints and help you to maintain mobility as you age. The simple reason for this is that such exercises require your body to move only as it is meant to and, thus, they strengthen such natural movements. A second big benefit is that the bodyweight exercise provides a better solution for weight management. Whereas aerobic exercise focuses on shedding calories, calisthenics builds lean muscle which increases your metabolic rate and, thereby, your body’s ability to burn through calories even while at rest. A third major benefit is how much easier it is to find the time and motivation to work out when you can do it anywhere, anytime. Between the city sports centers and the big commercial gyms, there may be close to a hundred gyms in Nagoya. Now think about all of the little parks, the places you can do pull-ups or push-ups, the hills and stairs you can run. You are limited only by your own imagination. Additionally, there is something much more intrinsically satisfying about acquiring a new skill, a new way you can move your body, than there is about being locked into the numbers of weightlifting or the repetition of aerobic exercise. And best of all, it costs nothing to use your own body and the natural and urban environments around you to get in shape.
Japan can be a very judgmental country where behavioral norms are both well-defined and rigorously adhered to. Working out in the park, next to the playground, or on the street are all activities that defy people’s expectations and will draw attention. But, if you’re concerned about staring park goers, ask yourself what seems more natural, being surrounded by fluorescent lights, machines, and artificial ventilation in a slab of cement, or moving around freely in the sunlight and fresh air. By taking your workouts outside you’re accomplishing two things at once; first, you’re becoming stronger and healthier and second, you’re subtly but powerfully rejecting the commoditization of your body and health. Be confident about what you’re doing because it sets an example, shows people they have other options, and subverts the manufactured expectations of consumer culture. Before long, you will see people in the gym wearing their nicely coordinated workout clothing as they chug away on the treadmill, looking out at the world through a double thick pane of glass and you will pity them. You will want to set them free.
Your body is the only thing you’ll have from the time you’re born until the moment you die. Take care of it. If you haven’t thought about your New Year’s resolution yet… don’t. This year, don’t make a resolution. In fact, don’t ever make another one. They are lies, rationalizations, and betrayals used by people who lack the willpower to make the changes in their lives they know they need. When you decide you need to do something, don’t put it off or schedule it. Do it right away. You will amaze everyone, including yourself, with what you are capable of. If you are interested in self-development, in trying something new, or in seeing what you are capable of, head down to your local park as soon as you get a chance. If you don’t know where to start, there is a ton of free information out there (check Youtube). For those who want something a bit more structured, send an e-mail to pushupbrahs@gmail.com for information on where and when you can hook-up with Nagoya’s own dedicated street workout group. See you in the park.
