Exercise: Why We Need It and Why I Miss It | EP Martial Arts
It’s crazy being all cooped up due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Pretty much as soon as we closed our gym in East Providence, RI, I have been going to the beach in the evenings, running, it’s been mostly drizzly and cool with nobody around. Actually it’s been nice. The beach feels safe from the virus, with the salty breeze and the amazing views and open space it connects me with the natural world and it’s a fun place to work out.
I had fun putting lines in the sand with my heel every 10 steps and I did interval sprints. First 10 yards walk back then 20 yds and up to 100 yds. I felt like a kid playing at the beach. I did my Kata and some Judo practice. The sand made it all tougher. I thought about Coach Jeff Burger, he always says: “If you want to make something better make it harder.”
Now we’re really all cooped up, they just closed the beaches and the parks. It’s very stressful. We know we have to stay active. Exercise has huge physical health benefits. Building strength, reducing joint pain and muscle pain. Some of the biggest benefits come from reducing anxiety, depression, stress. Not just for adults but for kids, too.
Think of how tough this staying home must be for young kids and their families. Young people 5–18 have so much energy they need to move around! Stress levels have to be going off the charts! Parents are working from home or laid off. This is rough!
Exercise becomes addicting because it causes the release of various brain chemicals that improve your mood. When you bring together a group of friendly, like-minded individuals who are willing to battle through tough workouts together, you develop a culture of friendship and support. The kind of friendship that develops when we’re at our low-points but also working towards the same goals and sharing values such as self-reliance, achievement, and self-discipline. It’s natural you would make friends with these folks. This in turn creates more incentive to train. You’re a part of something you all believe in. My business partner, Sifu Ty and I never realized the biggest benefit to us starting our own gym was all the friendships we made!
The thing I miss most is not training with my friends at the gym. I can train alone, it’s not as good, but I can maintain. What hurts is not seeing everyone. We’re going to start running Zoom classes next week. We’re behind the curve but better late than never.
Stay tuned! I’m looking forward to seeing you online!
In the meantime, stay safe, and if you’re craving some training at home, you can check out our Home Workout Videos on our social media pages and follow along.
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Bart Axelrod is a Krav Maga instructor at EP Martial Arts in East Providence RI and a paramedic in the Boston area.
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