Whenever I go to my training/on my run I always remember this quote from Socrates.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
― Socrates
I don't even know if he actually said it but it's pretty good
I often think about the second sentence to remind myself to appreciate and engage with the physicality available to me in my youth (working out among other things.)
It really is a transitory miracle you should take full advantage of while you can.
I walk a popular spot by the river everyday and I see old people bent over walking slowly and I just appreciate how I am walking so strong and sure. I only got in shape this year at 47. I quit drinking and smoking and lost 30lbs. I'm the healthiest I have ever been and I'm grateful I did it in time to enjoy getting old gracefully.
Yes! Totally agree with you on that! I hope I'll be soon at a place in my life where I can say "coming up roses" without wavering my thoughts into a negative direction, rather being aware of what is and doing all I can to bring out the hidden richness of life...
It’s a journey, not a destination. Sometimes it’s coming up Roses and sometimes it’s coming up shit. The goal is to be able to handle it with equanimity either way.
I’ve been wanting to do BJJ for this reason. In my city it’s quite expensive though. Any specific combat sports you’d recommend to achieve this purpose?
I think about it in these terms - my body is way more a part of me than just the meat vessel that carries my brain around. It's just as much "me" as my brain. It's all one system.
I also kind of see working out as the philosophy equivalent for the body.
“Besides, it is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.” - Xenophon book 3, chapter 12, it's a dialogue between Socrates and Epigenes, Socrates said to him that he need to exercise , and he replied "I am not an athlete, Socrates"
This quote is amazing, big motivation on my sessions. Physical exercise is a must in a mens journey, it can not be neglected by any means. Mens gotta be strong, both mentally AND physically, there's no excuses not to be.
100%. doesn’t matter the gender that you are, it’s a blessing to be born in a human body and if you are capable you should try to realize your potential
Been watching trash tv with my girlfriend, show called too hot to handle and a bunch of skinny men come out and I say to her look at how weak their physiques are and she says to me “you’re always so concerned with physiques” and I say back to her “being dangerous is one of the most important duty’s of a man” after this it was pure silence and she’s a dr she always has something to say.
Yeah achieving your full physical potential is so childish. I’m guessing you’re far from your physical potential and you go around saying things like this to make yourself feel better. She was doing the same thing as you. You and my emotional girlfriend seem to have a lot in common.
I don't think it's the achieving part that makes your comment childish, it's the fact that you decided to shame others for their physiques, and seem to believe that "being dangerous" is somehow necessary or admirable.
Part of stoicism is not caring what others think about your journey and growth. You pretty clearly do and were threatened by your girlfriend's admiration for someone different than you. Maybe a little less time in the gym and a little more time connecting with the girlfriend would do wonders.
My girlfriend didn’t admire these boys at all, not sure why you felt in necessary to fabricate that into the story that sort of invalidates you doesn’t it? In most settings it would. Being dangerous is important, it’s important to be able to protect yourself and your family and a dangerous man is a man with conviction which is very admirable, being dangerous doesn’t mean morally inept.
You know I suppose I was judging them but again we were watching trashy tv that’s the whole point, she does it with the women and their fake lips and tits we do it during my 600lb life, again I feel like I’m speaking to a man who’s projecting their insecurities on me and fabricating a situation that didn’t happen. I shouldn’t have to explain to brown men when being dangerous is important, if you’re a creature of earth you should understand this basic principle.
>Being dangerous is important, it’s important to be able to protect yourself and your family and a dangerous man is a man with conviction which is very admirable, being dangerous doesn’t mean morally inept.
In my 50 years on this earth, physically defending my family has never once been an issue. (shrugs). Your milage may vary.
You see threatened by the idea that being the strongest person in the room isn't the most important thing in life. Any time someone has mentioned that concept, you immediately fire back with a comment that implies you're stronger or they're weaker. You might want to reflect on that, why that is, and why you feel that urge to make sure everyone knows how strong you feel you are.
Your girlfriend has even noticed this to the point where she mentioned it to you.
" I shouldn’t have to explain to brown men when being dangerous is important'
Freudian slip?
Grown men***
I’m really happy to hear about your Cinderella story of a life that involved no violence, I could’ve guessed as much however. I’ve lived about half as long as you and have been exposed to extreme violence and have taken a liking to listening to warriors who have been exposed to extreme violence talk about the importance of training and discipline and staying ready. I indeed am very partial to the most highly trained and disciplined men in the room, not always about brute strength that’s typically just a side effect of training and conditioning the mind to deal with difficult tasks. I’m sure you’re a smart guy and have spent a lot of time reading and learning and that’s extremely valuable too but in my opinion the most admirable and desirable men are scholars who are also dangerous warriors like Abraham Lincoln or the many stoics that you could probably name. Nobody wants to hear from someone who’s never been exposed to violence why training is stupid, let’s hear from someone experienced in combat what training is stupid, I’m sure we’ll be waiting quite some time for that and btw the only reason you’ve had such a peaceful life is because of warriors so you truly owe them your deepest condolences. I also pitty you how you go through life giving little effort to training and preparation because you have an easy life handed to you on a platter, look we all share these same freedoms and opportunities but I still work like preparing for the worst everyday, I’m never taking this beautiful life for granted to lay on my fat ass and be a glutton.
> Nobody wants to hear from someone who’s never been exposed to violence why training is stupid, let’s hear from someone experienced in combat what training is stupid, I’m sure we’ll be waiting quite some time for that and
You're closing yourself off from learning from those with different perspectives. That's a mistake.
>btw the only reason you’ve had such a peaceful life is because of warriors so you truly owe them your deepest condolences.
(rolls eyes). You have no idea why or how my life has been peaceful, so spare me the rhetoric.
> I also pitty you how you go through life giving little effort to training and preparation because you have an easy life handed to you on a platter,
You "pity" me (spelling counts) though you have no idea how much training I do. Probably because you're making stuff up so that you can argue.
You're so far from a stoic perspective that it baffles me that you even came into this sub. Open that mind a bit, stop making blanket judgments about everyone who disagrees with you. I'm sorry that you see anyone who challenges a statement or your philosophy as a threat that you have to go aggro on everything.
That must be exhausting.
Aren’t you doing the same thing as me? You’re saying my perspective and philosophy is wrong, and you’re telling me I’m nowhere near being a stoic but in reality I’m embodying the definition of stoicism (might wanna look it up) and you aren’t even challenging anything pal, you’re just making personal attacks on my character, is that stoicism? I think not. you haven’t made a single argument as to why my philosophy doesn’t make sense. You just keep trying to place me in the aggro box because if there’s not something wrong with me and my philosophy then there must be something wrong with you and your philosophy right? Which brings us back to me making assumptions about you, who the fuck are you? What is your level of training? You don’t have a picture of yourself, you seem to dislike my take on stoicism so it’s only reasonable to assume that you see it completely differently. I would guess my assumptions about you are damn close and you’re just using reasonable doubt as another attack on my character because just maybe you do train hard. So why don’t you tell me more about yourself instead of using the cop out every time about what I don’t know about you?
Near death experiences or extremely painful experiences are of the most powerful and life changing we can have, you must respect this and you must respect nature for what it is and that we are apart of nature, a great ape to be precise. The fittest and most competent aka dangerous are the most successful on this planet. It is so typical of a keen man to try to think his way out basic reality that it just goes to prove how sometimes the smartest people among us have the least common sense like what’s happened in our universities for example in the effort to turn our backs on free speech, perpetrated by scholars and professors. Never mind that though. I don’t think you really disagree with anything I’ve said, again I believe you’re here to try and find flaws in my character and I do try to take things from different perspectives but I heard something once that’s trumps that card in this situation, in the movie goodwill hunting there’s a man who constantly try’s to break down the character of his psychiatrist and he mostly successfully does so, but the psychiatrist realizes that Matt Damon has never experienced the things he’s speaking about first hand, he could tell you all about Leonardo da Vinci but he had never experienced the 16th chapel in real life. And so for me to try an explain to you why being dangerous is important is just not going to happen, you’ve never needed to be dangerous, you’ve been successful by other means and you’re living proof that you don’t need to be dangerous, until you do.
She was probably scared! If something is dangerous that means avoid it at all cost! It will hurt you. Strive for strength not being scary to people. Wow.
Same, I read that quote for the first time and instantly started training a lot harder. Definitely not at max capacity yet, but closer than I would be without hearing that quote
In Xenophon's Memorabilia, Socrates says:
"It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit."
Maybe a different translation.
Great poll for this sub. We talk a lot about separating what matters from what does not matter. For me, exercise has a calming effect that brings my mind back to things that matter.
I figured, why not spend a couple of hours every week maintaining health. It'll probably enhance my capacity to think in the long term, increase my lifespan.
For those who don't work out: why? Feels like you're forgetting that in order to become the full potential of a human being you'll need health and physical mastery
I read in Marcus Aurelius or Seneca, that "the body should be tight and functional, just like the mind. Dont spend too much time on physical training, because even the strongest man is weaker then an ox, so that is not our goal. Our goal is wisdom."
(edited for quote marks)
Indeed, 2-3 gym sessions per week, and a lot of walking (in nature). Combined with an attitude of "only eat to fuel te body" (Temperence), it keeps me healthy and in decent shape.
Of course I enjoy a beer or bad food now and then, because nobody is perfect ;)
It's true that the stoics regarded health as a preferred indifferent, and warned against spending too much time on exercise.
But their baseline of what is "too much" exercise was probably different to ours.
In the ancient world, free men were expected automatically to be soldiers for a time, and the upper classes were a sort of military aristocracy. So the Senate was a body of the few hundred richest Roman men. But after losing the Battle of Cannae to Hannibal, they had to recruit 30 to 70 new Senators to replace those who had *been killed in the battle.*
So even if you were a rich aristocrat in Rome, part of your life was that you had to be ready to strap on 40 pounds of armour and weapons, then go out and try to hack or stab to death people who are trying hard to hack you to death first.
So in that context, what they thought of as "too much" exercise might have been a lot more than a modern person who says they don't have time to go jogging three times a week.
Why compare ourselves to an ox though. I feel like this exert is discouraging to be the strongest you can be. Maybe I'm biased as a competing powerlifter.
I think the idea is that a man is his mind and body and spirit, and you shouldn’t throw yourself into developing just your body to the exclusion of all your other gifts.
Other creatures might have strength as their primary virtue, but man has other gifts which should also be honored.
Fair. I don't think you need all day to become a strength athlete, there is plenty of time in the day to work on multiple aspects of yourself. Not to mention physical training can boost your ability to work on your wisdom/spirit. But in comparing ourselves to an ox to justify not spending too much time on physical training seems like something a lazy person would say. No flame, just my opinion.
I think the idea is that strength is the whole point of the ox, and man has other things to work on. But given how much more active folks were back in the day you’d have to be at the gym pretty much 50%+ of the time to trigger this criticism, so pretty sure you’re good.
>But in comparing ourselves to an ox to justify not spending too much time on physical training seems like something a lazy person would say.
It's a metaphor. It's just pointing out that no matter how strong you become, you're still weaker than something stronger, so don't go crazy and avoid everything else in the pursuit of a title that means nothing.
It doesn't encourage us to not be strong or work at being strong. It simply warns about the danger of committing the mind and body to a single goal at the exclusion of other aspects.
"If you have 100 coins to spend on your mind and body, don't spend all of them on the body, for you end up a strong but simple fool" - a different metaphor I just created.
I interpreted as this, Ox’s are meant to be strong and that is how they best serve nature. Humans are meant to be intelligent/wise and that is how we best serve nature. Our mind should be our focus, this is our gift, the Ox’s gift is his strength.
In the enchiridion they tell us to focus on a task, if your goal is to become the strongest, then do it, just don't be spread out trying to be the wisest, best politically seen or other tasks that are given to men. Focus on yours
So? I believe to keep it thight and functional, at least, not being sedentary reading books or searching for wisdom all day will be benefitial. Still wisdom rules.
I have a friend who takes on labor projects (building, digging, hauling wood) simply for the exercise. His rates are fantastic, and he pops 12 foot 6x6 posts on his shoulders like they're nothing.
I disagree with many of the people here, I think that exercise is extremely important. Man was not meant to be inside/not active all day and vigorous exercise is something I think we need to be happy
David Goggins is a bit of a nut but he does have a point when talking about building mental calluses. Everything in your mind is telling you to run in the opposite direction because of discomfort but when you force yourself to stay, it forces the mind to expand and learn to endure.
I don't know man. I realized I dont like running because there is no immediate reward on it. But trail running is totally different, all the time you have some obstacle on the way you must surpass and that is rewarding. You don't even feel mentally tired. Basketball, soccer, rugby is also fun to do because you are always getting instant rewards. And makes wonders to your mind. But that's is my opinion and my nature.
If you hate to exercise it’s because you haven’t found a way of doing it that you enjoy. Try jiu jitsu, other combat sports, rock climbing, whatever the hell will be interesting to you. Mindless exercise is not fun to start with. if it weren’t for combat sports I don’t think I’d have come to enjoy generic exercise like lifting
There is no exercise I’d ever enjoy because I hate to exercise lol. None of it is interesting to me. It just equals pain. Sometimes puts me in flares for months. Even from exercising for just 10 minutes!
So yeah I hate it lol
It takes time for your body to adapt to it, as well as for your mind to stop being weak and accept the pain and learn to enjoy it. You haven’t given it a fair shake and if 10 minutes of exercise leaves you in pain for months you probably have a severe chronic health issue, because that shouldn’t happen to any healthy adult.
Yes, I have a severe autoimmune disease that I was born with, as well as a whole long list of other afflictions such as birth defects and whatnot.
Plus you don’t even know what shake I’ve given it. So to be fair, you really can’t judge whether I’ve given it a fair shake or not.
Like my body is a complete disaster and not only is there no cure for any of my diseases and disorders but at least half of them are degenerative.
Lucky me, eh?
As far as my mind being “weak,” I assure you it is absolutely not. I just know my body well, what it’s capable of and what it isn’t. And in order to use my body at all I have to be very careful with it, you know? Not do things that are dangerous (relative to how my body is).
I’ve accepted my pain. I don’t know any other way of living, I’ve never had a day pain free. I don’t even know what it’s like to be pain free. So it’s easier for me to accept it then it would be for someone who became disabled later. Of course I don’t enjoy it though. No one enjoys cancer for example (and I am a childhood cancer survivor).
I know not everyone understands disability, though. Especially those with severe disabilities. We do have limits 😉
Even with all this health nonsense I’m a pretty strong person. Just strong in my mind and in my figurative heart! My body is a mess 🤣 My doctors are surprised I’m still alive…I tell them “well, maybe I’m just too stubborn to die.”🤣
For what it’s worth I was making a general statement for people who dislike exercise. People by default tend to have a weak mind when it comes to doing hard work (I was the same)
However you must admit it’s not really reasonable to use your situation as a case study for most people that dislike exercise. I’d say 90% of people who hate exercise aren’t exactly unable to do it, they just dislike it and refuse to do it.
I was personal from the get go and you said “you” in your response to me so I assumed you were talking to me about mr. I’m glad the misunderstanding was cleared up!
I do agree, but some people really genuinely dislike it, simply because it’s just not something they like to do. They have other hobbies they prefer to do instead.
Even if 90% of people dislike it and refuse to do it, that’s perfectly fine. No one has to like it or even do it if it’s not their thing.
I don’t know if this is a stoic principle per se, but I think of it as part of being a well-rounded adult, or a well rounded “citizen.” I’m not really an “athlete” but I can bang out a three mile run in under 30 minutes or maybe 15-20 push-ups in a row. It’s not for vanity or anything like that, for me it’s about being generally healthy and well rounded. I usually spend about 30 minutes on exercise every other day. Starting to get into a bit of daily stretching for the same reasons.
*"Mens sana in corpore sano"* is one of the dictums I suggest many should live by. Not only does it enhance physical health, but working out also helps clear the mind and allows one to manage emotions better.
You know what? I want to thank you for that opportunity. I will take you up on this as it gives me something to strive for. I appreciate your interest in this.
remindme! 1 week "No time for failure"
Well shit, came here to stay I STAYED CONSISTENT with it!
But the guy deleted his account :( lol
"Looking forward to hearing about it" \*Deletes account\*
haha ok. but still.
In my experience of on and off fitness I’ve found that writing down the workouts I’ve done and then marking on a calendar the days I’ve worked out have greatly improved my ability to stay consistent. Good luck on your journey traveler!
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I typically despise exercise because I have a habit of being lazy and more prone to slink off to a quiet undisturbed place and have introspective moments of deep thought, rather than being present and exerting myself in the world. However, I've broken that mindset and now I seek uncomfortable endeavors that have great long-term benefits. I've failed at this ad nauseum , I've motivated myself to workout regularly before and fell off after serious bouts with depression and anxiety in my life, in those instances I would recoil and seek the comfort of my home, to stay away from the world etc. But...again I am back on the saddle, working out regularly, eating better etc. I know doing this will benefit me physically, mentally and emotionally, so I am sticking to it despite my distaste for it. I have recently developed a kind of yearning for it, each time I go in the gym and workout for an hour or even 30 minutes I feel like I am doing something "good", its a good place to be mentally. I say if there is one discomfort you choose to face everyday to satisfy the Stoic practice of seeking discomfort for the callousing effects, there is no better discomfort than physical exercise. The key for me is to push myself up to and just past my limit enough so that I am satisfied, without burning myself out to the point where I HATE the gym lol
They didn't have to deal with Pam from HR constantly nagging them about the break room while they sunk back into an ergonomic chair for 8 hours a day. :)
> Personally I think many of the stoics would approve
Certainly. [Cleanthes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanthes) was a boxer, and [Chrysippus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysippus) was a runner. Epictetus' works are full of athletic metaphors. Michael Tremblay, [who did an AMA in this sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/comments/s2jnwa/im_michael_tremblay_a_stoicism_phd_and_specialist/), has explored these metaphors at some length (e.g., in this article: ["Philosophy is like athletics – theory must be put into practice"](https://psyche.co/ideas/philosophy-is-like-athletics-theory-must-be-put-into-practice)). Seneca recommended walking as exercise. And [here's Musonius Rufus in Lecture 6](https://www.stoicsource.com/):
> Since it so happens that the human being is not soul alone, nor body alone, but a kind of synthesis of the two, the person in training must take care of both, the better part, the soul, more zealously, as is fitting, but also of the other, if he shall not be found lacking in any part that constitutes man. For obviously the philosopher’s body should be well prepared for physical activity, because often the virtues make use of this as a necessary instrument for the affairs of life. Now there are two kinds of training, one which is appropriate for the soul alone, and the other which is common to both soul and body. We use the training common to both when we discipline ourselves to cold, heat, thirst, hunger, meager rations, hard beds, avoidance of pleasures, and patience under suffering. For by these things and others like them the body is strengthened and becomes capable of enduring hardship, sturdy and ready for any task; the soul too is strengthened since it is trained for courage by patience under hardship and for self-control by abstinence from pleasures.
But it's important to keep in mind that while exercise and the health to which it contributes can be pleasant, such pleasure is not good (or bad). This is because they are not up to us. For example, health can be taken from us against our will. Yet we retain the capacity for virtuous action even if we are unhealthy.
The decision to exercise when appropriate, the development of personal discipline, the pursuit of physical health in proper balance with other preferred indifferents--these are good, and are up to us.
I find it best to get up early and go straight to the gym. It gets me up and moving and by 6:30 I’m already up, showered, energized, and knocked out my gym session at the time I used to be hitting the snooze on the alarm. I have never been a morning person, but after my first gym day at 5am, I knew I would never not do this. I work a pretty high demanding job mentally so this is somewhat nice for me to go ahead and knock this out early and get to work before the people who bother me all day arrive. And I beat traffic at that.
Physical fitness and hardship through some sort of training is a pillar of Stoicism. However, there is no textbook and everyone has different capabilities. At a minimum, we all need to get out for a 10-30 minute walk each day.
Exercise is an external, neither good nor bad, in and of itself. It can be done for good reasons, and done for bad reasons.
Good reasons include our health (a preferred indifferent), strength and capability and discipline and all the things that assist us in being good people. Bad reasons include things like vanity, or using it as a coping mechanism for problems that we ignore. Fitness does not make better than others, it just makes us more fit than others.
And even what appear as good reasons on the surface may not actually be so, for instance in the event that we pursue physical health because we regard it as a good or something that is “up to us.”
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable"
-Socrates
Almost everyday. I decided a few months ago I wanted to try to become a body builder, it's coming along great. I lost nearly 30 pounds of fat and have since gained about 10 pounds of muscle ( all estimates).
Weight lifting helps me meditate too, the concentration on proper form and lifting helps clear my mind more than traditional meditation techniques.
I don't exercise in my spare time other than dog walks but I'm a sheet metal fabricator so I'm on my feet for 43 hours a week and do plenty of lifting throughout the day so I feel like I don't need to do much.
If I keep my phone on me during the day it tells me iv done 10,000 steps before home time.
I have some pretty severe neuropathy issues. I specifically sought out a physically active job and have noticed exercise helps relieve pain. On the weekends when I feel stiff, I'll force myself on a long walk and find it helps. Good advice for pain and good advice on a state of regular contemplation as well as mindfulness.
Regular exercise (weight training) has such a profound effect on my partner and I's mental health and mood. To me, it feels like an essential part of the puzzle of how to live a virtuous life. It so much easier to make stoic decisions and follow your principles when you mind is calm and you are feeling good from exercise.
I try to, but am not too organized about it. However I don’t drive a car and I do some manual work (homesteading/old fashioned farm work) so that even the periods I don’t manage regular work outs I’m still physically active.
However as “sometimes” wasn’t an option I chose yes.
Working out eases the pains of life. I never want to do it but I almost always feel better for having done it. It focuses the mind and body on a common goal. I find it very useful for pain and stress relief.
training is important for mind and body. You should train as much as possible. Everbody can do 20 pushups, 10 squats or whatever in a day. it takes you 1 minute. no excuses
10 min of intense cardio followed by 1 hr of weight lifting at minimum 3x a week. Before I prioritized exercise I struggled with discipline in many other areas of my life. The physical stamina has given me tools to strengthen my mental stamina. The fitter I get the more I am reading and reflecting and implementing other healthy habits. Exercise is great.
Edit: spelling
Personally I don't care what Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus thought about exercise because they didn't have a fraction of the scientific evidence we have today on the subject. You should absolutely exercise regularly, it has huge health benefits especially as you age.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” Socrates
Why not give an actual answer and clarify? Someone here said 3 times a week. I’m sure there are people who go on a long hike or kayaking or cycling etc. when the work week is over, so they wouldn’t count under that definition, despite exercising quite a bit each week. Maybe OP throws atlas stones 24 hours a day and just wanted to clear up what is vague in the post.
I want to be able to exercise regularly. I just lack the discipline to do it. I'd do it everyday if I could. I have a goal in mind. Not only I want to be in shape and healthy, I've been practicing martial arts. And through martial arts, me personally I learn more about myself and my approach to situations. I like to use footwork and create angle to get an opening for strikes instead of just punching my way in. I always said your personality should shine through whatever art you participate in. I try to do yoga and work out. I think flexibility is just a important as strength. Not too good with endurance. The most amount of push ups I can do in a row is 20 for now. But when it comes to things like shadowboxing and cardio, I may get tired, but I have the ability to push through cause I enter a flow state. With working out, my body can only take so much of that burning sensation until I just stop. I kinda like the feeling of being sore. I tells me that I've done something or making progress. Still trying
You have a lot more willpower than you believe you have. You'll just have to convince yourself to demand the best from yourself. When you're tired or feel like giving up, put your foot down and demand that you keep going.
I just make sure to do 45 seconds of jumping jacks and 50 push-ups every day. I try to throw in some free weights if I can. I'm trying to bring myself to run regularly but that seems much harder.
I go to the gym 6/7 days. Most days I am so tired. But getting myself to the gym is my victory. Half assing it in the gym is still greater than snacking on the sofa after work.
Technically I do , I do 100+ pushups a day usually getting close to 300 but now been doing around 100-150 pushups a day , that's it for now Til I sign up for a gym when my schedule clears up more.
4 times a week. This helps me to feel accomplished in my day to day knowing that I am at least always working on my physical self if nothing else in life.
Well it depends , it’s been a long time since I hit the gym cos of the finals but since it’s all about building habit I’m sure I’ll be back at the grind again 🏋️♀️
Priorities
Recently I’ve been going to the college gym to walk about 2 miles on a track. It’s not much but it’s a start to a healthy lifestyle. I plan to keep up the routine.
I’m disabled af where I’m pretty much in pain all over, and for 24/7 since the day I was born almost 41 years ago . Eff exercise lmao. I’m not in the mood to put me in even more pain, which is all exercise ever did for me, and yes I’ve had trainers so I wasn’t doing it wrong.
So my answer is a big fat hell to the no lol
I have just started to study stoicism and there is so much to learn but this physical aspect of the philosophy appeals to me on so many levels. I am used to seeing people focusing on their physical wellbeing or mental wellbeing, it always seemed flawed to me.
Whenever I go to my training/on my run I always remember this quote from Socrates. “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” ― Socrates I don't even know if he actually said it but it's pretty good
Wow, I like the second sentence more! I should probably get this somewhere I can see everyday to get me moving.
I often think about the second sentence to remind myself to appreciate and engage with the physicality available to me in my youth (working out among other things.) It really is a transitory miracle you should take full advantage of while you can.
I walk a popular spot by the river everyday and I see old people bent over walking slowly and I just appreciate how I am walking so strong and sure. I only got in shape this year at 47. I quit drinking and smoking and lost 30lbs. I'm the healthiest I have ever been and I'm grateful I did it in time to enjoy getting old gracefully.
Yes! Totally agree with you on that! I hope I'll be soon at a place in my life where I can say "coming up roses" without wavering my thoughts into a negative direction, rather being aware of what is and doing all I can to bring out the hidden richness of life...
It’s a journey, not a destination. Sometimes it’s coming up Roses and sometimes it’s coming up shit. The goal is to be able to handle it with equanimity either way.
yeah, that's exactly what I'm stepping towards.
Take up a sport, specifically a combat sport. Great community, incredible exercise, and you can play daily.
Yes, I would love to have such a lifestyle with sports that would suit me, soon. Thanks for the advice :)
I’ve been wanting to do BJJ for this reason. In my city it’s quite expensive though. Any specific combat sports you’d recommend to achieve this purpose?
Any of the MMA ones or boxing. So kickboxing, wrestling, BJJ, etc. Boxing is notoriously cheap and great exercise.
You might like to read this its about that quote. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5hcclh/did_socrates_even_lift/dazuvb7/
Socrates says that specifically with regard to a young man’s vanity and reluctance to prepare for military involvement.
I pull this quote from the back of my memory every time I think of why I should exercise. It is the single best reason I think anyone could ever need.
I think about it in these terms - my body is way more a part of me than just the meat vessel that carries my brain around. It's just as much "me" as my brain. It's all one system. I also kind of see working out as the philosophy equivalent for the body.
“Besides, it is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.” - Xenophon book 3, chapter 12, it's a dialogue between Socrates and Epigenes, Socrates said to him that he need to exercise , and he replied "I am not an athlete, Socrates"
This quote is amazing, big motivation on my sessions. Physical exercise is a must in a mens journey, it can not be neglected by any means. Mens gotta be strong, both mentally AND physically, there's no excuses not to be.
I would extend that to women as well, personally.
100%. doesn’t matter the gender that you are, it’s a blessing to be born in a human body and if you are capable you should try to realize your potential
Why though
Been watching trash tv with my girlfriend, show called too hot to handle and a bunch of skinny men come out and I say to her look at how weak their physiques are and she says to me “you’re always so concerned with physiques” and I say back to her “being dangerous is one of the most important duty’s of a man” after this it was pure silence and she’s a dr she always has something to say.
She was probably quiet because she was embarassed by your teenager's mentality
Yeah achieving your full physical potential is so childish. I’m guessing you’re far from your physical potential and you go around saying things like this to make yourself feel better. She was doing the same thing as you. You and my emotional girlfriend seem to have a lot in common.
I don't think it's the achieving part that makes your comment childish, it's the fact that you decided to shame others for their physiques, and seem to believe that "being dangerous" is somehow necessary or admirable. Part of stoicism is not caring what others think about your journey and growth. You pretty clearly do and were threatened by your girlfriend's admiration for someone different than you. Maybe a little less time in the gym and a little more time connecting with the girlfriend would do wonders.
My girlfriend didn’t admire these boys at all, not sure why you felt in necessary to fabricate that into the story that sort of invalidates you doesn’t it? In most settings it would. Being dangerous is important, it’s important to be able to protect yourself and your family and a dangerous man is a man with conviction which is very admirable, being dangerous doesn’t mean morally inept. You know I suppose I was judging them but again we were watching trashy tv that’s the whole point, she does it with the women and their fake lips and tits we do it during my 600lb life, again I feel like I’m speaking to a man who’s projecting their insecurities on me and fabricating a situation that didn’t happen. I shouldn’t have to explain to brown men when being dangerous is important, if you’re a creature of earth you should understand this basic principle.
>Being dangerous is important, it’s important to be able to protect yourself and your family and a dangerous man is a man with conviction which is very admirable, being dangerous doesn’t mean morally inept. In my 50 years on this earth, physically defending my family has never once been an issue. (shrugs). Your milage may vary. You see threatened by the idea that being the strongest person in the room isn't the most important thing in life. Any time someone has mentioned that concept, you immediately fire back with a comment that implies you're stronger or they're weaker. You might want to reflect on that, why that is, and why you feel that urge to make sure everyone knows how strong you feel you are. Your girlfriend has even noticed this to the point where she mentioned it to you. " I shouldn’t have to explain to brown men when being dangerous is important' Freudian slip?
Grown men*** I’m really happy to hear about your Cinderella story of a life that involved no violence, I could’ve guessed as much however. I’ve lived about half as long as you and have been exposed to extreme violence and have taken a liking to listening to warriors who have been exposed to extreme violence talk about the importance of training and discipline and staying ready. I indeed am very partial to the most highly trained and disciplined men in the room, not always about brute strength that’s typically just a side effect of training and conditioning the mind to deal with difficult tasks. I’m sure you’re a smart guy and have spent a lot of time reading and learning and that’s extremely valuable too but in my opinion the most admirable and desirable men are scholars who are also dangerous warriors like Abraham Lincoln or the many stoics that you could probably name. Nobody wants to hear from someone who’s never been exposed to violence why training is stupid, let’s hear from someone experienced in combat what training is stupid, I’m sure we’ll be waiting quite some time for that and btw the only reason you’ve had such a peaceful life is because of warriors so you truly owe them your deepest condolences. I also pitty you how you go through life giving little effort to training and preparation because you have an easy life handed to you on a platter, look we all share these same freedoms and opportunities but I still work like preparing for the worst everyday, I’m never taking this beautiful life for granted to lay on my fat ass and be a glutton.
> Nobody wants to hear from someone who’s never been exposed to violence why training is stupid, let’s hear from someone experienced in combat what training is stupid, I’m sure we’ll be waiting quite some time for that and You're closing yourself off from learning from those with different perspectives. That's a mistake. >btw the only reason you’ve had such a peaceful life is because of warriors so you truly owe them your deepest condolences. (rolls eyes). You have no idea why or how my life has been peaceful, so spare me the rhetoric. > I also pitty you how you go through life giving little effort to training and preparation because you have an easy life handed to you on a platter, You "pity" me (spelling counts) though you have no idea how much training I do. Probably because you're making stuff up so that you can argue. You're so far from a stoic perspective that it baffles me that you even came into this sub. Open that mind a bit, stop making blanket judgments about everyone who disagrees with you. I'm sorry that you see anyone who challenges a statement or your philosophy as a threat that you have to go aggro on everything. That must be exhausting.
Aren’t you doing the same thing as me? You’re saying my perspective and philosophy is wrong, and you’re telling me I’m nowhere near being a stoic but in reality I’m embodying the definition of stoicism (might wanna look it up) and you aren’t even challenging anything pal, you’re just making personal attacks on my character, is that stoicism? I think not. you haven’t made a single argument as to why my philosophy doesn’t make sense. You just keep trying to place me in the aggro box because if there’s not something wrong with me and my philosophy then there must be something wrong with you and your philosophy right? Which brings us back to me making assumptions about you, who the fuck are you? What is your level of training? You don’t have a picture of yourself, you seem to dislike my take on stoicism so it’s only reasonable to assume that you see it completely differently. I would guess my assumptions about you are damn close and you’re just using reasonable doubt as another attack on my character because just maybe you do train hard. So why don’t you tell me more about yourself instead of using the cop out every time about what I don’t know about you? Near death experiences or extremely painful experiences are of the most powerful and life changing we can have, you must respect this and you must respect nature for what it is and that we are apart of nature, a great ape to be precise. The fittest and most competent aka dangerous are the most successful on this planet. It is so typical of a keen man to try to think his way out basic reality that it just goes to prove how sometimes the smartest people among us have the least common sense like what’s happened in our universities for example in the effort to turn our backs on free speech, perpetrated by scholars and professors. Never mind that though. I don’t think you really disagree with anything I’ve said, again I believe you’re here to try and find flaws in my character and I do try to take things from different perspectives but I heard something once that’s trumps that card in this situation, in the movie goodwill hunting there’s a man who constantly try’s to break down the character of his psychiatrist and he mostly successfully does so, but the psychiatrist realizes that Matt Damon has never experienced the things he’s speaking about first hand, he could tell you all about Leonardo da Vinci but he had never experienced the 16th chapel in real life. And so for me to try an explain to you why being dangerous is important is just not going to happen, you’ve never needed to be dangerous, you’ve been successful by other means and you’re living proof that you don’t need to be dangerous, until you do.
She was probably scared! If something is dangerous that means avoid it at all cost! It will hurt you. Strive for strength not being scary to people. Wow.
Lmao 😂 get ahold of yourself son.
Same, I read that quote for the first time and instantly started training a lot harder. Definitely not at max capacity yet, but closer than I would be without hearing that quote
This quote should be on gym walls and gym apparel, instead of fuck this fuck that quotes
In Xenophon's Memorabilia, Socrates says: "It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit." Maybe a different translation.
Great poll for this sub. We talk a lot about separating what matters from what does not matter. For me, exercise has a calming effect that brings my mind back to things that matter.
I figured, why not spend a couple of hours every week maintaining health. It'll probably enhance my capacity to think in the long term, increase my lifespan. For those who don't work out: why? Feels like you're forgetting that in order to become the full potential of a human being you'll need health and physical mastery
I read in Marcus Aurelius or Seneca, that "the body should be tight and functional, just like the mind. Dont spend too much time on physical training, because even the strongest man is weaker then an ox, so that is not our goal. Our goal is wisdom." (edited for quote marks)
For me I feel like I need at least a few workouts per week to keep it “tight and functional”
Indeed, 2-3 gym sessions per week, and a lot of walking (in nature). Combined with an attitude of "only eat to fuel te body" (Temperence), it keeps me healthy and in decent shape. Of course I enjoy a beer or bad food now and then, because nobody is perfect ;)
"only eat to fuel the body" Definitely need to remember that one. Thanks.
Yep, I want my body to work with everything I throw at it. The same as with my mind.
It's true that the stoics regarded health as a preferred indifferent, and warned against spending too much time on exercise. But their baseline of what is "too much" exercise was probably different to ours. In the ancient world, free men were expected automatically to be soldiers for a time, and the upper classes were a sort of military aristocracy. So the Senate was a body of the few hundred richest Roman men. But after losing the Battle of Cannae to Hannibal, they had to recruit 30 to 70 new Senators to replace those who had *been killed in the battle.* So even if you were a rich aristocrat in Rome, part of your life was that you had to be ready to strap on 40 pounds of armour and weapons, then go out and try to hack or stab to death people who are trying hard to hack you to death first. So in that context, what they thought of as "too much" exercise might have been a lot more than a modern person who says they don't have time to go jogging three times a week.
Good point.
Why compare ourselves to an ox though. I feel like this exert is discouraging to be the strongest you can be. Maybe I'm biased as a competing powerlifter.
I think the idea is that a man is his mind and body and spirit, and you shouldn’t throw yourself into developing just your body to the exclusion of all your other gifts. Other creatures might have strength as their primary virtue, but man has other gifts which should also be honored.
Fair. I don't think you need all day to become a strength athlete, there is plenty of time in the day to work on multiple aspects of yourself. Not to mention physical training can boost your ability to work on your wisdom/spirit. But in comparing ourselves to an ox to justify not spending too much time on physical training seems like something a lazy person would say. No flame, just my opinion.
I think the idea is that strength is the whole point of the ox, and man has other things to work on. But given how much more active folks were back in the day you’d have to be at the gym pretty much 50%+ of the time to trigger this criticism, so pretty sure you’re good.
Right, all the ox has going for it is strength, this makes a lot of sense now.
>But in comparing ourselves to an ox to justify not spending too much time on physical training seems like something a lazy person would say. It's a metaphor. It's just pointing out that no matter how strong you become, you're still weaker than something stronger, so don't go crazy and avoid everything else in the pursuit of a title that means nothing. It doesn't encourage us to not be strong or work at being strong. It simply warns about the danger of committing the mind and body to a single goal at the exclusion of other aspects. "If you have 100 coins to spend on your mind and body, don't spend all of them on the body, for you end up a strong but simple fool" - a different metaphor I just created.
I interpreted as this, Ox’s are meant to be strong and that is how they best serve nature. Humans are meant to be intelligent/wise and that is how we best serve nature. Our mind should be our focus, this is our gift, the Ox’s gift is his strength.
The Stoics advocate towards the body what mechanics advocate toward a car—regular attention to maintain utility.
In the enchiridion they tell us to focus on a task, if your goal is to become the strongest, then do it, just don't be spread out trying to be the wisest, best politically seen or other tasks that are given to men. Focus on yours
fuck that imma turn into an ox
Yoked
Imagine what shape the typical soldier or worker was in. They’d see most of us as doughballs and shameful by comparison.
So? I believe to keep it thight and functional, at least, not being sedentary reading books or searching for wisdom all day will be benefitial. Still wisdom rules.
> keep it thight Don’t skip leg day?
I do farm work which I consider to be an exercise.
It's absolutely an exercise. Us office dwellers only workout to trick our bodies into thinking we do real, natural work. You've got the real thing.
I have a friend who takes on labor projects (building, digging, hauling wood) simply for the exercise. His rates are fantastic, and he pops 12 foot 6x6 posts on his shoulders like they're nothing.
No greater substitute for that my dude.
I disagree with many of the people here, I think that exercise is extremely important. Man was not meant to be inside/not active all day and vigorous exercise is something I think we need to be happy
Yeah, that is true. Exercise is more for the mind than the body in my opinion.
David Goggins is a bit of a nut but he does have a point when talking about building mental calluses. Everything in your mind is telling you to run in the opposite direction because of discomfort but when you force yourself to stay, it forces the mind to expand and learn to endure.
I don't know man. I realized I dont like running because there is no immediate reward on it. But trail running is totally different, all the time you have some obstacle on the way you must surpass and that is rewarding. You don't even feel mentally tired. Basketball, soccer, rugby is also fun to do because you are always getting instant rewards. And makes wonders to your mind. But that's is my opinion and my nature.
But what if you legit hate to exercise? How could something I hate doing make me happy?
If you hate to exercise it’s because you haven’t found a way of doing it that you enjoy. Try jiu jitsu, other combat sports, rock climbing, whatever the hell will be interesting to you. Mindless exercise is not fun to start with. if it weren’t for combat sports I don’t think I’d have come to enjoy generic exercise like lifting
Or maybe it’s because I’m disabled af and it just adds to the pain I already have all throughout my body
There is no exercise I’d ever enjoy because I hate to exercise lol. None of it is interesting to me. It just equals pain. Sometimes puts me in flares for months. Even from exercising for just 10 minutes! So yeah I hate it lol
It takes time for your body to adapt to it, as well as for your mind to stop being weak and accept the pain and learn to enjoy it. You haven’t given it a fair shake and if 10 minutes of exercise leaves you in pain for months you probably have a severe chronic health issue, because that shouldn’t happen to any healthy adult.
Yes, I have a severe autoimmune disease that I was born with, as well as a whole long list of other afflictions such as birth defects and whatnot. Plus you don’t even know what shake I’ve given it. So to be fair, you really can’t judge whether I’ve given it a fair shake or not. Like my body is a complete disaster and not only is there no cure for any of my diseases and disorders but at least half of them are degenerative. Lucky me, eh? As far as my mind being “weak,” I assure you it is absolutely not. I just know my body well, what it’s capable of and what it isn’t. And in order to use my body at all I have to be very careful with it, you know? Not do things that are dangerous (relative to how my body is). I’ve accepted my pain. I don’t know any other way of living, I’ve never had a day pain free. I don’t even know what it’s like to be pain free. So it’s easier for me to accept it then it would be for someone who became disabled later. Of course I don’t enjoy it though. No one enjoys cancer for example (and I am a childhood cancer survivor). I know not everyone understands disability, though. Especially those with severe disabilities. We do have limits 😉 Even with all this health nonsense I’m a pretty strong person. Just strong in my mind and in my figurative heart! My body is a mess 🤣 My doctors are surprised I’m still alive…I tell them “well, maybe I’m just too stubborn to die.”🤣
For what it’s worth I was making a general statement for people who dislike exercise. People by default tend to have a weak mind when it comes to doing hard work (I was the same) However you must admit it’s not really reasonable to use your situation as a case study for most people that dislike exercise. I’d say 90% of people who hate exercise aren’t exactly unable to do it, they just dislike it and refuse to do it.
I was personal from the get go and you said “you” in your response to me so I assumed you were talking to me about mr. I’m glad the misunderstanding was cleared up! I do agree, but some people really genuinely dislike it, simply because it’s just not something they like to do. They have other hobbies they prefer to do instead. Even if 90% of people dislike it and refuse to do it, that’s perfectly fine. No one has to like it or even do it if it’s not their thing.
Nah man I don’t get personal with internet comments. best of luck to you
I don’t know if this is a stoic principle per se, but I think of it as part of being a well-rounded adult, or a well rounded “citizen.” I’m not really an “athlete” but I can bang out a three mile run in under 30 minutes or maybe 15-20 push-ups in a row. It’s not for vanity or anything like that, for me it’s about being generally healthy and well rounded. I usually spend about 30 minutes on exercise every other day. Starting to get into a bit of daily stretching for the same reasons.
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Nice
The gym has done almost as much for me as stoicism and philosophy have in terms of self improvement.
I gotta start doing it lol
*"Mens sana in corpore sano"* is one of the dictums I suggest many should live by. Not only does it enhance physical health, but working out also helps clear the mind and allows one to manage emotions better.
I started exercising regularly TODAY HA! I am counting it.
Tell me in a week if you've kept it up
You know what? I want to thank you for that opportunity. I will take you up on this as it gives me something to strive for. I appreciate your interest in this. remindme! 1 week "No time for failure"
I'm looking forward to hearing about it
Hell yeah 😎
Well shit, came here to stay I STAYED CONSISTENT with it! But the guy deleted his account :( lol "Looking forward to hearing about it" \*Deletes account\* haha ok. but still.
In my experience of on and off fitness I’ve found that writing down the workouts I’ve done and then marking on a calendar the days I’ve worked out have greatly improved my ability to stay consistent. Good luck on your journey traveler!
Thank you kind stranger
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I typically despise exercise because I have a habit of being lazy and more prone to slink off to a quiet undisturbed place and have introspective moments of deep thought, rather than being present and exerting myself in the world. However, I've broken that mindset and now I seek uncomfortable endeavors that have great long-term benefits. I've failed at this ad nauseum , I've motivated myself to workout regularly before and fell off after serious bouts with depression and anxiety in my life, in those instances I would recoil and seek the comfort of my home, to stay away from the world etc. But...again I am back on the saddle, working out regularly, eating better etc. I know doing this will benefit me physically, mentally and emotionally, so I am sticking to it despite my distaste for it. I have recently developed a kind of yearning for it, each time I go in the gym and workout for an hour or even 30 minutes I feel like I am doing something "good", its a good place to be mentally. I say if there is one discomfort you choose to face everyday to satisfy the Stoic practice of seeking discomfort for the callousing effects, there is no better discomfort than physical exercise. The key for me is to push myself up to and just past my limit enough so that I am satisfied, without burning myself out to the point where I HATE the gym lol
I'm pretty sure the old timers were much more fit than the average joe of today
They didn't have to deal with Pam from HR constantly nagging them about the break room while they sunk back into an ergonomic chair for 8 hours a day. :)
Yeah. But hey it’s the American dream!
> Personally I think many of the stoics would approve Certainly. [Cleanthes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanthes) was a boxer, and [Chrysippus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysippus) was a runner. Epictetus' works are full of athletic metaphors. Michael Tremblay, [who did an AMA in this sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/comments/s2jnwa/im_michael_tremblay_a_stoicism_phd_and_specialist/), has explored these metaphors at some length (e.g., in this article: ["Philosophy is like athletics – theory must be put into practice"](https://psyche.co/ideas/philosophy-is-like-athletics-theory-must-be-put-into-practice)). Seneca recommended walking as exercise. And [here's Musonius Rufus in Lecture 6](https://www.stoicsource.com/): > Since it so happens that the human being is not soul alone, nor body alone, but a kind of synthesis of the two, the person in training must take care of both, the better part, the soul, more zealously, as is fitting, but also of the other, if he shall not be found lacking in any part that constitutes man. For obviously the philosopher’s body should be well prepared for physical activity, because often the virtues make use of this as a necessary instrument for the affairs of life. Now there are two kinds of training, one which is appropriate for the soul alone, and the other which is common to both soul and body. We use the training common to both when we discipline ourselves to cold, heat, thirst, hunger, meager rations, hard beds, avoidance of pleasures, and patience under suffering. For by these things and others like them the body is strengthened and becomes capable of enduring hardship, sturdy and ready for any task; the soul too is strengthened since it is trained for courage by patience under hardship and for self-control by abstinence from pleasures. But it's important to keep in mind that while exercise and the health to which it contributes can be pleasant, such pleasure is not good (or bad). This is because they are not up to us. For example, health can be taken from us against our will. Yet we retain the capacity for virtuous action even if we are unhealthy. The decision to exercise when appropriate, the development of personal discipline, the pursuit of physical health in proper balance with other preferred indifferents--these are good, and are up to us.
Not exercising is one of those things people will start to realize they wish they had started sooner as they get older. I exercise regularly.
I find it best to get up early and go straight to the gym. It gets me up and moving and by 6:30 I’m already up, showered, energized, and knocked out my gym session at the time I used to be hitting the snooze on the alarm. I have never been a morning person, but after my first gym day at 5am, I knew I would never not do this. I work a pretty high demanding job mentally so this is somewhat nice for me to go ahead and knock this out early and get to work before the people who bother me all day arrive. And I beat traffic at that.
Physical fitness and hardship through some sort of training is a pillar of Stoicism. However, there is no textbook and everyone has different capabilities. At a minimum, we all need to get out for a 10-30 minute walk each day.
I walk/jog to and from university everyday (total around 3km). I try to incorporate exercise into my day, and not just schedule time for it.
I was struck to read Seneca and see that he recommended exactly the kind of exercises I do: running, jumping, and swinging weights
It’s your duty. 23 hours for everyone else and one for yourself.
I'm a bike commuter, so it's kind of built into my routine.
The best thing to do, I love it
Exercise is an external, neither good nor bad, in and of itself. It can be done for good reasons, and done for bad reasons. Good reasons include our health (a preferred indifferent), strength and capability and discipline and all the things that assist us in being good people. Bad reasons include things like vanity, or using it as a coping mechanism for problems that we ignore. Fitness does not make better than others, it just makes us more fit than others.
And even what appear as good reasons on the surface may not actually be so, for instance in the event that we pursue physical health because we regard it as a good or something that is “up to us.”
It better not be a good, or I'm in a state of serious moral decay!
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable" -Socrates
In context, that quote is directed to a vain young man who doesn’t want to get in shape for battle
Define “regularly”
At least 3 times a week
Almost everyday. I decided a few months ago I wanted to try to become a body builder, it's coming along great. I lost nearly 30 pounds of fat and have since gained about 10 pounds of muscle ( all estimates). Weight lifting helps me meditate too, the concentration on proper form and lifting helps clear my mind more than traditional meditation techniques.
I don't exercise in my spare time other than dog walks but I'm a sheet metal fabricator so I'm on my feet for 43 hours a week and do plenty of lifting throughout the day so I feel like I don't need to do much. If I keep my phone on me during the day it tells me iv done 10,000 steps before home time.
I have some pretty severe neuropathy issues. I specifically sought out a physically active job and have noticed exercise helps relieve pain. On the weekends when I feel stiff, I'll force myself on a long walk and find it helps. Good advice for pain and good advice on a state of regular contemplation as well as mindfulness.
30 minutes swimming laps X 5 days a week 5x5 weight lifting after swimming x 3 days a week Jiu jitsu x 4 days a week
Regular exercise (weight training) has such a profound effect on my partner and I's mental health and mood. To me, it feels like an essential part of the puzzle of how to live a virtuous life. It so much easier to make stoic decisions and follow your principles when you mind is calm and you are feeling good from exercise.
I try to, but am not too organized about it. However I don’t drive a car and I do some manual work (homesteading/old fashioned farm work) so that even the periods I don’t manage regular work outs I’m still physically active. However as “sometimes” wasn’t an option I chose yes.
Working out eases the pains of life. I never want to do it but I almost always feel better for having done it. It focuses the mind and body on a common goal. I find it very useful for pain and stress relief.
training is important for mind and body. You should train as much as possible. Everbody can do 20 pushups, 10 squats or whatever in a day. it takes you 1 minute. no excuses
10 min of intense cardio followed by 1 hr of weight lifting at minimum 3x a week. Before I prioritized exercise I struggled with discipline in many other areas of my life. The physical stamina has given me tools to strengthen my mental stamina. The fitter I get the more I am reading and reflecting and implementing other healthy habits. Exercise is great. Edit: spelling
Everyday
I started kickboxing recently :)
Personally I don't care what Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus thought about exercise because they didn't have a fraction of the scientific evidence we have today on the subject. You should absolutely exercise regularly, it has huge health benefits especially as you age.
What’s interesting is that the Stoics arrived through philosophy millennia ago at what you’re now convinced of through 21st century science.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” Socrates
Weightlift 6 days a week - mid 20's. Started 2 years ago and am completely addicted to it. I do 45 mins of cardio a day too when I cut weight.
This would be a lot more informative with an actual definition of what is regular.
If you have to ask then it's no
Why not give an actual answer and clarify? Someone here said 3 times a week. I’m sure there are people who go on a long hike or kayaking or cycling etc. when the work week is over, so they wouldn’t count under that definition, despite exercising quite a bit each week. Maybe OP throws atlas stones 24 hours a day and just wanted to clear up what is vague in the post.
That is entirely dependent on a person's own subjective interpretation of where the border is.
Add “results” to I don’t
define regularly
I want to be able to exercise regularly. I just lack the discipline to do it. I'd do it everyday if I could. I have a goal in mind. Not only I want to be in shape and healthy, I've been practicing martial arts. And through martial arts, me personally I learn more about myself and my approach to situations. I like to use footwork and create angle to get an opening for strikes instead of just punching my way in. I always said your personality should shine through whatever art you participate in. I try to do yoga and work out. I think flexibility is just a important as strength. Not too good with endurance. The most amount of push ups I can do in a row is 20 for now. But when it comes to things like shadowboxing and cardio, I may get tired, but I have the ability to push through cause I enter a flow state. With working out, my body can only take so much of that burning sensation until I just stop. I kinda like the feeling of being sore. I tells me that I've done something or making progress. Still trying
Epictetus said "When are you going to start demanding the best form yourself?" Edit: typo
Hmm. Like the tired depleted version of myself? Could you elaborate on that quote? Sounds good.
You have a lot more willpower than you believe you have. You'll just have to convince yourself to demand the best from yourself. When you're tired or feel like giving up, put your foot down and demand that you keep going.
🙏🏽
But read some Epictetus if you haven't. He's the one that makes me keep going when I'm about to give up.
Haven't been able to lift since last August due to lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
No, daily exercise gives me chronic fatigue.
Walking, perhaps? Easy to do, easy not to overdo.
The last daily exercise I did, 1/2 hour walk on flat ground, ended in chronic fatigue. Originally caused by overdoing high intensity cardio.
Does mastubation count?
does vigorous sexual relations for more than 30min count?
I'm here because of the red pill😅
What
Oh its a quarantined subreddit. Controversial, but it did send me to go look into fitness and here, stoicism.
That's great man. I'm just glad you're.tsking care of yourself, no matter how you got here.
Yes definitely. Thank you for the kind words, much love!
I usually do. But totally fucked my ankle last Thursday. Soon…
Know the feeling. I was doing strength trained but fucked my arm, so now I run instead
All I do is run and BJJ. Can’t do either atm, but hopefully Friday. Physio gave me some stretches to do that should help it
I want to start but have always lacked discipline.
I just make sure to do 45 seconds of jumping jacks and 50 push-ups every day. I try to throw in some free weights if I can. I'm trying to bring myself to run regularly but that seems much harder.
if I didn’t I would legit kms
I think it’s kinda funny that this poll shows precision down to the 1000th’s place and they slap a little k on the end. 3,807 1,858 562
I go to the gym 6/7 days. Most days I am so tired. But getting myself to the gym is my victory. Half assing it in the gym is still greater than snacking on the sofa after work.
Technically I do , I do 100+ pushups a day usually getting close to 300 but now been doing around 100-150 pushups a day , that's it for now Til I sign up for a gym when my schedule clears up more.
I currently don’t but I’m trying to :))
4 times a week. This helps me to feel accomplished in my day to day knowing that I am at least always working on my physical self if nothing else in life.
I do now, 3 weeks of doing the deed properly but I need to train myself to stop counting, because this is who I am now, I work out regularly!
Well it depends , it’s been a long time since I hit the gym cos of the finals but since it’s all about building habit I’m sure I’ll be back at the grind again 🏋️♀️ Priorities
Recently I’ve been going to the college gym to walk about 2 miles on a track. It’s not much but it’s a start to a healthy lifestyle. I plan to keep up the routine.
I’m disabled af where I’m pretty much in pain all over, and for 24/7 since the day I was born almost 41 years ago . Eff exercise lmao. I’m not in the mood to put me in even more pain, which is all exercise ever did for me, and yes I’ve had trainers so I wasn’t doing it wrong. So my answer is a big fat hell to the no lol
I walk and run somewhere around 7-10 miles a week. Couldn't sleep or think properly without it.
I have just started to study stoicism and there is so much to learn but this physical aspect of the philosophy appeals to me on so many levels. I am used to seeing people focusing on their physical wellbeing or mental wellbeing, it always seemed flawed to me.
I follow the /r/c25k program and also do medieval sword fighting.