Chapter 4: Exercising Habits
On a hot Saturday in late September 2017, I met up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland. Sarah was cooking a yummy cobb salad lunch. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Is it okay if I have some cobb salad with you guys?" I asked. "Sure," James replied. "Guess what I had for a snack today?" I asked my friends. "What?" Henri asked. "Yogurt," I replied. "From the milk and dairy product group." "Mmm, that sounds yummy," Henri remarked. "What did you guys have for a mid-morning snack?" I then asked. "Let me guess... Sarah- carrot sticks, James- hard-boiled eggs, Henri- Wheat Thins crackers." "That's correct, Angel," James replied. "We have some left over if you want some," Sarah offered. "Sure, we could eat some of those," I agreed. "Why not?" We then sat down to eat lunch. "How did you guess some of those snacks correctly?" James asked me. "I just remembered each of our favorite food groups, that's all," I told James. "I like milk and dairy products, you like meat and protein, Sarah likes fruits and vegetables, and Henri likes grains." "Wow, you have such a good memory, Angel," Sarah remarked. "Eating healthy foods is just one way to maintain physical health," I informed my friends. "Do you guys know another way?" "What's that, Angel?" Henri asked. "Exercise, of course," I told my friends. "Now, can we discuss what our physical movement looks like?" "What do you mean by that, Angel?" Sarah asked me. "What I am asking you guys is how do you stay active right now?" I asked. "I take walks around the neighborhood as an example." "I like to help walk other people's dogs," Henri told me. "I work out at home and run around the neighborhood," Sarah stated. "And, I like to go to the gym," James replied. "I used to do martial arts as a kid," Henri told us. "That's cool, Henri," I remarked. "Gee, I remember how afraid I was to exercise back in middle school," Sarah recalled. "I remember," I agreed. "What was the point of physical education, anyway?" Sarah asked me. "To help you learn more about your body and take care of it better," I replied. "Boy was I not very active at the age of 13!" "What do you think were maybe some barriers that kept you from being as active back then as you are now?" I asked my friend. "Well, I was always ashamed and embarrassed about being in a public place, I did not always have much time, I put exercise off due to other distractions around me, I always ended up getting injuries that resulted in some health issues, I was not very good at the exercises, and I did not have the money to afford memberships or equipment," Sarah explained to me. "Can you guys think of some ways I could have overcame my barriers as a teenager?" "You could have used a household item to exercise, such as the stairs, a water bottle, carrying your shopping home, or walking your pets, as well as exercising at home and setting a goal to motivate yourself," Henri suggested. "I would say joining a group, making a motivational soundtrack, or going with a friend like me," I added. "Well, I would suggest setting a scheduled time to exercise if you are realistic, and if you have an injury, improvise or find an alternate way to exercise, and schedule healthy doctor visits to prevent future illness," James advised his stepsister. "I would officially define exercise as bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness," I informed everyone. "Again, I still didn't understand why we had to take physical education in middle school," Sarah told us, "and why is exercise so important for our minds and bodies?" "Well, exercise controls your weight, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers," I told Sarah. "Exercise also strengthens your bones and muscles and improves your mental health and mood, meaning that you are more confident, and your self-esteem is boosted," James added. "Exercise also improves your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls if you are an older adult and also increases your chances of living longer," Henri chimed in. "Oh, I understand now," Sarah remarked. "Because the day of my 8th grade history exam, do you know what class I had right before the exam?" "No, what?" I asked. "Physical education," Sarah informed us. "Not to mention, right after my lunch break, I took a walk around the courtyard to help remember what I studied and relieved my stress, and I did the same thing in physical education, as well." "That's impressive, Sarah," I remarked. "Thank you, Angel," Sarah replied. "As for the infamous guy who cheated off of my history exam, Nathan Hale... well, let's not go there, shall we?" "I guess he didn't exercise much before the test, did he?" Henri asked. "Like I said, let's not go there!" "Either way, we are all very proud of you, Sarah," James remarked. "I'm especially proud of you, Sarah," I praised my friend. "Come here and give me a hug!" Sarah and I hugged. We then went to our computers and smart phones to research a type of exercise that we all liked to do. I researched swimming, Sarah researched yoga, James researched rock climbing, and Henri researched tae kwon do. James went first, telling us everything he knew about rock climbing. "Rock climbing is an activity in which participants climb up, down, and around natural formations or artificial rock walls. The benefits of rock climbing are that it builds muscle and endurance, works all major muscle groups, increases flexibility and range of motion, increases mental strength by navigate routes, decreases stress, burns calories, prevents chronic disease, offers breathtaking sights, conquers fears, and challenges yourself. For rock climbing in Pittsburgh, I like to go to either ASCEND which costs 16 dollars a day for a pass, 4 dollars for shoes, a dollar for a chalk bag or 60 dollars a month, or the Climbing Wall, which costs 12 dollars a day for a pass, also 4 dollars for shoes and a dollar for a chalk bag or 65 dollars a month." "Good job, James," I remarked. "Now, it's your turn, Sarah." Sarah told us everything she knew about yoga. "Yoga involves different types of stretches and poses, and there are different styles of yoga for beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The benefits of yoga are that it is self healing, provides strength, awareness, and harmony, increases flexibility and muscle strength, provides faster metabolism, and shapes your mind and concentration. For yoga in Pittsburgh, I like to go to either Yoga Hive, which costs 25 dollars for 25 days, Yoga Factory, which costs 29 dollars per month for students or 16 dollars for a single session or Exhale Yoga, which costs 50 dollars per month for unlimited yoga sessions or 15 dollars for a single session." Henri took his turn to tell us everything he knew about tae kwon do. "Tae kwon do is a kind of martial art, also known as a mostly unarmed combat where you use your body as a weapon. The benefits of tae kwon do are that it boosts your confidence, self-discipline, and reflexes, focuses your power, and boosts your fitness. For tae kwon do in Pittsburgh, I like to go to either North Hills ATA, Young Brothers, or Kim's Martial Arts and Fitness, also known as CS Kim Karate when I was younger. As for the prices, people would ask for my information to give me offers. Finally, I took my turn to tell my friends everything I knew about swimming. "Swimming is where you move through the water. The benefits of swimming are that it is good for your mind and body, manages weight, reduces your stress levels, raises your self-esteem, boosts your mood, strengthens your muscles, has a low impact, improves your sleep, is sweat-free, and lowers your risk for diseases. For swimming in Pittsburgh, I like to go to either one of the local YMCAs, health clubs, or outdoor pools during the summer. As for the prices, I would have to know the cost of a YMCA membership." "I want to try exercising right now," Sarah told us. "Well Sarah," James informed her, "there is this gym I like to work at on the South Side called Iron City Circus Arts. We can go there sometime if you want." "We're still making waffles next weekend, right, James?" I asked James. "Yes, we are, Angel," James replied. "Sarah and I will go grocery shopping for everything we need on Friday." "I will also make sure to get the fruit salad recipe from Kerry this week when I see her at the Pirates game," I promised. "Can we go to Iron City Circus Arts the following weekend?" Sarah asked. "Yeah, it would be lots of fun," Henri agreed. "Sure," James agreed. "We will go to Iron City Circus Arts to exercise the weekend after next." A bus then showed up outside the apartment. "I guess I should be going home now," I told my friends. "Thanks for a great afternoon!" "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"