Lydiana Zwick
Eng111­K6B
9­15­2014
Let’s Get Physical
Growing up, it seemed like America was so much more active. Going to play outside with the neighborhood kids, and running around with my mother, doing what seemed like meaningless errands was a normal daily routine. Now bills can get paid online, video games are a child’s world, and the economy is not as great as it used to be so people tend to stay at home a lot more often. Many Americans cannot say when the last time their heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of their chest, not from the anticipation of who was going to win
American Idol or if it was possible to make it to the next map on Call of Duty; but because the body was up and doing something physically active. Many people cannot remember the last time they went on a walk, a run, or even had a desire to be physical. Americans have become so lazy yet at the same time they still wish to lose weight and look like the celebrities on television.
Many people will give in to the diet pill frenzy or weight changing meal plans they see on late night infomercials but still refuse to get up and get moving. Exercising is a tough task for myself but it is something I strive to do everyday. I do it not only to make myself healthier but to also show others that it is possible to be fit.

I remember when I was growing up and everyday I would go outside to play with my

best friend, Seth. Us chasing each other around the house was the best thing in the world and it kept us entertained for hours at a time. Just getting our hearts pounding and sweating while running around and yelling “NOT IT!” whenever we were determining who was going to count

for our next game of hide and seek was the best thing in the world. Then one day we just stopped. He got into his video games, and I was more into MySpace and editing my profile with more music so we did not really have much interaction with each other afterwards. Seth left the neighborhood few years ago and every now and then he will come around and we will break out the basketball and play a game or two of Horse. But deep down, I wish we could still not have a care in the world and just be able to play and be free all day, and all the time, like we used to.

Being a college student full time, and working full time I sometimes wonder how I get a

chance to shower. The pressure of passing classes, getting assignments turned in on time, and trying to save up some money for a later day seems almost impossible. Whenever I do get a day or even a few hours to myself, instead of relaxing and taking a break I try my best to put on a pair of basketball shorts, lace up my sneakers, and go the YMCA to workout. The hardest part about working out, and being active is finding the motivation to do so.
Once I am at the YMCA and on the elliptical burning those calories I feel great. I can feel myself becoming less stressed with every step I take or weight I pull up on. And the feeling I get once I am finished with my workout; I am the greatest person ever! I feel like I can do anything, I can be anything, and even though I have sweat all down my back and I smell worse than a man, I feel great. Exercising is a great stress relief for everyone. Even if running a marathon, or bench pressing 300 pounds is not possible, just being active is proven to help manage stress levels in everyone. Stress can cause the body so much damage and actually cause a person to age faster, so a

good way to manage and help with stress is to get up and be active. Any form of exercise can help with the stress of our everyday lives, from walking around the block, to riding around town

on a bicycle, going to an aerobics class, or looking up yoga videos on YouTube and doing them while staying at home. Whenever there is physical activity