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The no-gym way of fitness
Overcoming inactivity in daily life is key

by Adele Curnonsky

It may be a classic case of “be careful what you wish for.”

For centuries mankind has sought ways to decrease the amount of labour and effort involved in living, and in recent decades we in North America have been highly successful in doing so.

Fewer and fewer of us do jobs that involve much in the way of manual work, and in our personal lives we can take advantage of a host of effort-saving devices, of which the automatic washer and dryer, power lawnmower, and dishwasher are obvious examples, in addition to the automobile itself.

At the same time, rich food is more readily available than ever before; millions are spent on advertising encouraging us to eat lots of it, and restaurant portion sizes are being expanded. The result that should have been predictable: an increasing number of us are out of shape, overweight and even clinically obese.

It is widely recognized that excess weight and lack of physical activity are risk factors in a wide range of ailments including cardio-vascular problems, cancer, diabetes, asthma and even dementia.

“Clever ideas of ease and automation have led to our physical demise,” writes Dr. Laura Stannard in her book Secrets of A Skinny Housewife. “Modern inventions have robbed us of the necessity for physical activity. Perhaps that is why North Americans have become some of the fattest, out-of-shape people on the planet.”

Stannard argues that we must become more active, but that many of us mistakenly feel that regular sessions at the exercise club are the only way to do so – something for which we may have neither time, money nor inclination.

“Years of exposure to media have bombarded us with the message that to be fit and healthy we must ‘work out’,” states the former fitness instructor and chiropractor. “If you are one of the many women who feel overwhelmed or who hate the idea of working out, know that you are not alone.”