Sports, games and physcial play
I never really went much in for sports, even when I was a kid. I might play a little recess soccer, and I did do both rec league soccer and modern dance, but I wasn't much in for going out for sports. Not wildly competitive, maybe.
Recently someone asked me why I work out and I made some lame response like that I need to work out to be healthy and look good. But then, that's not all of it.
It's fun to play physically.
A hike, playing tennis, kayaking, these are fun. Well, duh, you say, but let me finish--the motion itself is fun. Some people like competitions and games and achievement, and I love these things as much as the next person (I love a box to check off, you know, and Ieven play a running video game on my runs), but motion itself is fun. I remember when I was first learning how to play racket sports like tennis and racquetball how strange it was to make a swinging motion and have my reach so extended. I was hitting around a ball the other day and the sensation was such a surprise and a delight to be...well, natural to me. I was explaining the motion I make to kayak to someone, the way it comes from my abs and my shoulders, and it was so odd to conceptualize the motion, especially to someone who was very strong and active, but has little experience with to motion of paddling. Learning to dance, trying a new sport, they all remind me of that exhilaration of childhood when just feeling out what your body can do was thrill enough.
Recently someone asked me why I work out and I made some lame response like that I need to work out to be healthy and look good. But then, that's not all of it.
It's fun to play physically.
A hike, playing tennis, kayaking, these are fun. Well, duh, you say, but let me finish--the motion itself is fun. Some people like competitions and games and achievement, and I love these things as much as the next person (I love a box to check off, you know, and Ieven play a running video game on my runs), but motion itself is fun. I remember when I was first learning how to play racket sports like tennis and racquetball how strange it was to make a swinging motion and have my reach so extended. I was hitting around a ball the other day and the sensation was such a surprise and a delight to be...well, natural to me. I was explaining the motion I make to kayak to someone, the way it comes from my abs and my shoulders, and it was so odd to conceptualize the motion, especially to someone who was very strong and active, but has little experience with to motion of paddling. Learning to dance, trying a new sport, they all remind me of that exhilaration of childhood when just feeling out what your body can do was thrill enough.
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