They walk amongst us. They drink the same water, breathe the same air and yet, they are different. They are the next stage in human evolution. They are the meta-humans. They are future. They are the sports enthusiasts – homo sporticus!
You need only go for a drive down the Gulf Road to see them in action. Granted, you would have to do so at an unholy hour on a Friday morning however, the reward is well worth it. For you would see homo sporticus in all their glory and splendor. You would grab a rare chance to behold the majestic herds of cyclists atop their glorious metallic steeds (of both road and mountain breeds), zooming and whirring down the gulf road. Also the lone runners, darting across the sea of tarmac in search of scenic pastures in which to gaze whilst partaking in their morning runs. Sometimes the lone runners congregate and form a gang, running together with the sole purpose of traversing as much distance as possible before the air is filled with the putrid, acrid exhaust fumes along with the scintillatingly seductive smell of cooking and food as restaurants display their wares, a cunning trap for the fledgling sporticus yet unaware of what constitutes a proper exercise:food intake ratio.
None understand the mental reasoning of homo sporticus. To the average every day person, they feel sorry for them. Why are these people torturing themselves? Why wake up at the crack of dawn and subject their body to torture by running, cycling, walking etc.? Why persist in sport when they are obviously tired, as evident by the buckets of sweat pouring out of them as they painstakingly place one foot after the other.
You will find other breeds of homo sporticus, slowly gaining momentum; the skateboarders, the roller-blading few, the half-human half-fish swimmers and most importantly, the waking walkers; the most important of the new breed, for one must learn to crawl before they can walk, walk before they can run, run before they cycle etc.
The reason many fail when it comes to resolutions linked to health and wellness is that they focus on the end result too much. If The Lord of the Rings has taught us anything, it is that it is the journey, not the destination that counts (they could have easily rode upon the backs of the giant eagles to Mordor right?) However we would have been robbed of an epic tale of friendship, hardship and determination.
Weight loss by itself is not a goal. The goal is to be healthy. To achieve that goal requires dedication and an implementation of an amalgamation of exercise as well as diet. One cannot replace the other, and one cannot exist without the other. You diet, you lose weight and you become happy. You return to your regular eating regiment and find that the weight comes back with a vengeance. The only surefire way to shed the pounds and keep them off is by adopting a head on lifestyle alteration, whereby you eat healthy as well as exercise whenever possible. The key to being healthy is fitness.
Fitness is a permanent lifestyle not a temporary choice. Make that decision today. Your future depends on it.
