A New Paradigm for Exercise

 No amount of the wrong thing, will give the results of a proper amount of the right thing.  Many think that just doing anything, will give them the results they desire, when in fact, only the right things will produce the desired results, and if that is not the case, they're doing the wrong things -- and usually, don't realize that.  That explains why some people get results -- while many others make all the effort, but fail to achieve the results that should be forthcoming.  Yet in contemporary life, we blur those distinctions as an end in itself -- with predictably disastrous results -- while thinking we are doing all the right things.  The results speak for themselves.  That would be unfortunate in any sphere of activities and endeavors.

So first, one should devote some time to understand what they are doing -- that is not working, and in that process, arrive at a better understanding of what must work.  That's the way reality is.  It's very predictable as long as one observes certain rules, and not merely as one likes.  What makes things scientific is that predictability of results, and not just in thinking, that any result is as good as any other -- and that is the best we can hope for.

Those widely-divergent experiences and results, are unfortunately representative of the "average" experience -- and one hopes that in doing anything, one does not merely have an average result, but a decidedly exceptional one.  That is true for healthy outcomes as much as it is hoped for in financial ones.  To obtain that average result assumes that one should do nothing -- or continue doing what they have been doing -- even to no good effect.  But those who are not content with the present status quo, are looking to change that, because change makes the impossible possible.

That is inherent in change: the possibility of improvement, as well as getting worse -- but then one realizes that, and seeks to improve their chances for a favorable outcome.  Those who don't care, or who cannot tell the difference, will devolve to worse -- until they do care, or can tell the difference.  That is the process of "bottoming out" -- which is the ultimatum for turning things around -- for those who still can.  Those who continue to plunge further, are on their way out.  Those are the "facts of life" for all forms.  There is no wishing it will be otherwise.

So despite no guarantees of a successful outcome each and every time, we take our chances and do our best -- based upon what everything is telling us -- and not just wishing it were otherwise.  Those are the basic lessons we hope to learn in school -- and those who are the most successful at learning them, go on to improve their lot in life.  These are not closely-guarded secrets but obvious and visible to all.  However, there will always be those who would want to sell you their vision of what is happening over what one's own common senses are telling them -- and that has been a problem for ages, of the ages.

Usually, that is only a temporary lapse, and one eventually recovers to get back on the right track, and that is learning from life -- and not just the schools anymore.  The schools are not infallible -- but teach what is currently popular -- and are required to propagate as the truth.  That changes from year to year, time to time, and many note, that the experts change their minds frequently -- or more accurately, a different set of experts rise, and the old guard falls into disrepute.

Thus depending on the time and circumstances, they may advise abstaining from water, and also drinking as much of it as possible -- as the ultimate truth of the matter, and so one has to determine what is true for themselves -- and any divergence from that strict obedience, is usually well within our ability to handle.  Thus we won't starve to death if we're not force-feeding ourselves every hour, or become too muscular by exercising too much.

The greatest difference is between zero and one -- and not one with any other number.  So the greatest advice one can receive, is just to do a little -- while avoiding the extremes, or as the ancients advised, "Everything in moderation."  Then one proceeds from there -- to better or worse.  That is the process of learning from everything -- and not only what the self-designated and self-proclaimed experts tell us is the truth -- and get everybody to (mindlessly) repeat.  That's how the masses often go astray -- wondering who led them off the cliff.

The problem with exercise is making it hard and difficult so that it eventually eliminates everybody from further participation -- rather than making it so easy and simple, one can continue until their last breath -- as their last exercise.   Before then, one is well-advised to maintain the movement and functioning at the head (neck), hands (wrist), and feet (ankles) -- over the heart, biceps and abdominals as a better gauge for their own health and well-being -- as lifelong measures we largely take for granted -- although everybody notes the obvious and visible deterioration that we accept as normal aging we can do nothing about.  Those are the sites and organs that actually make the most difference.  The hardest thing to see is the obvious.

That is a better indicator of the overall health and well-being of that individual -- more than the biceps, abdominals, and even heart.  That is the easiest exercise one can do -- moving only at the head, hands and feet -- implying that the rest is working.  But not necessarily vice-versa -- obviously.