Last December, I sheepishly admitted that there was a huge hole in my Nerd credibility.
I grew up drawing cartoons, took AP art classes in high school, and have always been fascinated with hand-drawn animation…
But I had I have never seen a single second of a Studio Ghibli cartoon!
Studio Ghibli is Japan's equivalent of Disney, starring Hayao Miyazaki as Japan's Walt: the studio has won several Academy Awards for its beautifully hand-drawn animated films, and Miyazaki has achieved legendary status for directing these films over the past 40 years.
Luckily, the amazing Threads community gave me hundreds of supportive comments and helped me decide which movie I should start with!
Since making this announcement, I have watched 20+ Studio Ghibli films, I fell in love with Japanand became endlessly fascinated by Hayao Miyazaki.
(My favorites are Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper of the Heart and The Wind Rises.).
After watching each film, I turned to documentaries about Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli because I needed to know more.
Through these documentaries, I gained a fascinating insight into Miyazaki's creative style and his experiences making these films alongside his colleagues.
The running joke is that Miyazaki is the “endless man” and can't seem to retire.
There was something that stood out to me in each documentary:
In The kingdom of dreams and madness, At one point, everyone at Studio Ghibli stood up and went through a series of mobility and gymnastics exercises, including Miyazaki.
Later in the document I observed Miyazaki demonstrating a very deep squat with perfect form and without assistance. How many people do you know in their late 70s who can perform a deep squat unassisted!?
In The Endless Man: Hayao Miyazaki, Miyazaki is filmed several times chopping wood with an ax in the garden of his workshop.
And in Hayao Miyazaki and the heronMiya-san (her nickname), now in her eighties, is still chopping wood, walking in the woods, climbing fallen trees, doing her office exercises and working hard on the film that would culminate his life's work. .
(Yes, I know. Miyazaki also has a cigarette in his mouth for almost every minute of every documentary! He's lucky he hasn't developed lung cancer yet, and I remind myself that he's not the 'perfect image of health!).
I bring this up because I think it shows a different aspect of exercise than we might normally consider.
Train for your senior body
Watch this documentary by Hayao Miyazaki stay active and keep your brain sharp until age 80…
I was reminded amazing article by Elizabeth (@ThisGirlLifts on Instagram):
As we age, it's easier for us to move less, which gives us less energy and makes it harder to find the momentum and mobility to keep moving. It can prevent us from spending time with family or friends because we are unable to muster the energy to do so.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Let us rather run the risk of burning out than rusting.”
In other words: use it or lose it, buddy.
It's not a stretch for me to imagine that Miyazaki's ability to be an “endless man” is not only due to good genetics (and luck), but also the fact that he actively chosen to wear out rather than rust.
Reflecting on why he chose to strive to make another animated film in his eighth decade on this planet, he simply replied that it was all he knew how to do: “I'd rather die by doing this rather than dying without doing anything. »
Fitness goes far beyond weight loss
At Nerd Fitness, we encourage all rebels to think about their “big why”:
Why bother exercising, forming new habits, and striving to improve your life when the couch beckons?
What's the point of practicing and learning to deal with discomfort when retreating into comfort is easier and so seductive?
A very strong “big why” can help us stay on track, especially when life turns into a dumpster fire or we want to give up.
For Miyazaki, he decided that “bringing out what's inside me” was a good use of his time. He found peace and fulfillment by creating things rather than consuming them, which means he must take care of his body enough to stay alive long enough to accomplish these things!
For my grandmother (who I went to the hospital last month), its objective is to support its community and help those around it. Staying active allowed her to do so until age 90!
If you're having trouble finding a reason to do something…
You can do worse than “Workout for my Senior Body.” It's the only body you get, and the only life you have, so today is as good a day as any to start treating your body with a little more respect.
It doesn't have to be dramatic either. We can start simply:
- We can take a short daily walk.
- We can stand throughout the day and do mobility work like squats and arm swings.
- We can start strength training to build strong bones and avoid needing help for as long as possible.
It's up to us to keep our bodies active, and it's better to wear out than to rust from lack of use.
As a chaotic creator who spends a lot of time in my own head, Hayao Miyazaki gave me food for thought:
I hope that when I'm 80, I'll still be writing this newsletter and helping people, chopping wood, going for walks, and spending time with my loved ones.
I know that I can't control what happens and that accidents happen and that much of life is beyond my control, but I will do my best to give myself the best chance to continue creating and to wear out rather than rust!
I leave you with Miyazaki's final brooding quote that closes the documentary Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron:
“Stop whining and get moving.”
Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to work out for my old man body!
-Steve
PS: The original Japanese title of The boy and the heron East How do you live?. This is a much more interesting (and appropriate) title for the film; it is truly the summary of his life's work, those who influenced him and his deepest reflections on the meaning of life.
PP: Need guidance and accountability to reach your fitness goals? Nerd Fitness has helped over 10,000 humans over the past 8 years with one-on-one online fitness coaching. Click here for more details.
#Train #Person #Body