Focus......

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”- Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger

FIGURING OUT THE FIFTIES.... SO THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.......

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Peer Pressure

There is a lot of media hype these days about the pressure for people to be thin, fit, toned, perfect...
But what about the Other peer pressure... you know the one...  yes you do.. if you are into fitness and health you would have almost definitely come across the Other peer pressure...

"Why don't you eat biscuits???"
"Are you really stillllll worried about your body??"
"why do YOuuuuuu need to go to the gym, aren't you skinny enougfffffff "
"you are no fun now that you don't drink like a fish anymore"
"why can't you sit on the sofa with me and watch TV instead of training tonight"

Yes the Other peer pressure... which it seems is acceptable.. the one where you are made to feel weird or wrong because you chose to be healthy and fit.

What I find really interesting is that the person who bought this up in a conversation today is 72 years old. This wonderful person who can walk for 30 minutes on a incline of 4, with running sprints of 5 mins amongst the incline work, lift pretty decent sized weights with excellent form and eats a healthy not strict, diet was hassled while attending a seniors meeting!

What annoyed the bejesus out of me was that she was told she was thin enough and at her age really was being a bit silly trying to keep fit!! She was told this.. apparently.. by a woman who requires a walking frame due to her obesity...

This fit healthy amazing woman who, I imagine, will never be a burden on society due to health issues, told me she was a little upset that she was obviously being talked about and that it hurt her to think that her "friends" thought she was being silly trying to stay so fit and healthy.... she did tell them she wasn't coming to the gym to be skinny... she was coming to be healthy.. but they didn't believe her.

SEVENTY TWO... when does it stop!!! peer pressure to be unhealthy and to squueze into some oversized baggy mould of obesity and incapacitation... Is this really what our society wants for us...

I still have comments on my lifestyle choices... words are thrown at me like... hard to stick to, tough to live on, you are a bitch... ohhh hang on that last one is usually half way through a PT session... hehehehe

Maybe its time for the media to look at the reasons why the fit and healthy are hassled... instead of the pressure to be fit and healthy..

I told this wonderful lady that I thought the the person making the comments was doing so to convince themselves that they were not the one who should take a long hard look at their life... to be proud of what she can do, what she has done, and who she inspires... me for one... hell I am going to have to work on my cardio now if I hope to run as far and fast as she does when I am 72!

4 comments:

Kek said...

Excellent point, Cathy! And good for your client for choosing not to sit on the couch waiting to die.

Phooey to the nay-sayers. We'll have the last laugh. ;)

Unknown said...

My plan is to be like that when I'm in my 70s! That sounds like a better quality of life than the other old battleaxe.

mq01 said...

your posts always make me think and somehow coincide with my shit/life...somehow. interesting that peer pressure can happen in every facet of life too. sorry i digress, and i agree, at 72 people should give her absolutely complete support and appreciation. there is no room in life for judgemental opinionated bullshit. sigh. cheers to her! i hope to be like her!...

mq01 said...

really at any age...72 or not... :)