First things first
So, you want to change your body?
Well of course you do. Almost everyone does. Almost every person in this modern world has some sort of complaint about the state of their body: too fat, too slow, too weak, too funny-looking, too funny-feeling. Many of us feel uncomfortable, alienated, isolated and physically unhappy. The human body has become a focal point of discontent, unease and suffering, both real and manufactured.
We’re bombarded with messages of physical discontent throughout the day, each one drawing attention to our flaws, encouraging us to shape up. So, we gather up our resolve, drag ourselves off the couch and look around for a path. But what’s the first step? What do we need to get started on a health and fitness program?
It’s a common question and lots of experts are standing by to give us the ultimate answer. Depending on what you read, you might discover that you need:
- a doctor’s clearance
- a good pair of running shoes
- a gym membership
- a treadmill
- a yoga mat
- a fashionable set of lycra
- a water bottle
- a box of supplements
- an electronic gadget
Unfortunately, all of these answers are wrong. Not only are they wrong, they also distract us from the most fundamental need that we all have in our quest for physical happiness. That is, if we want to get started on a health and fitness program, the first thing that we need is a functional habitat.
A habitat is every animal’s life support system. Habitat provides our food, our water and our sense of identity and meaning. We are completely, utterly dependent upon it. Without a healthy, functioning habitat, there can be fitness, no wellness, no sex appeal and no athletic excellence. There can be no exuberance, no happiness, no life.
In the end, the fundamental principle is as simple as it is stark: no habitat, no health. If your life support system doesn’t work, your body isn’t going to work either, no matter how sophisticated your program might happen to be. If your biosphere is sick, you will likely be sick as well. If we can’t solve our problems of habitat, all the health advice in the world is worthless.
This, of course, is where our problem begins.
