Why Most People Don't Exercise Regularly: The Law of Conservation of Energy

People cite all kinds of excuses for not exercising as much as they should, with the most common one being lack of time. While this is true for some, it doesn’t fully answer the question as to why so many don’t like to exercise and, like other forms of work, avoid it like the plague. I have a theory as to why this behavior is so prevalent among most people (and, really, all animals) and always has been. Borrowing a scientific term, I call it the conservation of energy. In physics, the law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Energy can be converted from one form to another, but the amount of energy in a closed system remains constant. The food we eat contains energy that is either converted into glucose for immediate energy or stored as fat for use when incoming energy (food) is low. The amount of fat we have depends upon the balance of energy coming in, in the form of food, versus the amount of energy we use, in the form of work, exercise, metabolism, and other bodily functions like breathing, which keeps us alive. Throughout this complicated process, though, the amount of energy doesn’t change.

Humans, like other animals, conserve energy primarily due to the fact that our lives depend upon this precarious balance between calories in versus calories used. I contend that our bodies have been programmed, via evolution, to not waste energy. From the beginning of human history we have had to expend energy gathering energy, i.e. food to eat and fuel to keep us warm. There were times when food and fuel were scarce, and therefore our energy stores dwindled to dangerously low levels. In essence, the success of the human species has been about pursuing, using, and conserving energy. Due to periodic famines and the inconsistency of food sources, our bodies became very efficient at storing energy – fat. From that standpoint, it would have been unwise to waste that stored energy on activities that did not result in the acquisition of more energy. And that’s why people today avoid all excess movement. Over the millennia, these behaviors became embedded deeply in our genetic makeup. Now still lurking in our unconscious, our brains tell us that exercise is a waste of valuable energy. It also explains why most people, in general, are somewhat lazy, due again to conservation of energy. We see the same behaviors throughout the animal kingdom. Predators expend most of their energy stalking and running down their prey. When they are not hunting, they are laying around. Just observe your cat or dog for a while, and you’ll see what I mean. You’ve no doubt heard how busy bees are. As it turns out, bees are idle about 70 percent of the time. It appears as though energy conservation within the animal kingdom is a natural phenomenon, one that impacts humans as much as any other species.

A second major consideration of the law of conservation of energy involves the body’s preference to maintain homeostasis, which centers around a balance of energy out versus energy in. In other words, the body attempts to maintain a constant weight. That’s why your metabolism decreases in response to a drastic drop in caloric intake. Your body senses this drop in incoming energy and adjusts itself to utilize less energy. Similarly, if you use more energy by doing more exercise, your body senses this, too, and responds by increasing your appetite so you will eat more and thus make up the energy deficit. You may also be inclined to rest more and move less in response to an increase in exercise, which, again, serves to conserve energy and maintain homeostasis.

And finally, there is a somewhat mysterious fact regarding the health benefits of exercise that rarely gets any attention and few people even know about. It appears as though regular exercise is not healthy for all individuals. A recent study looking at common health measures of those engaged in regular exercise found that a full 10 percent of test subjects experienced adverse changes in one or more of the following heart disease markers: resting systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin.

Keys to Happiness?

Much of what we know about the happiness of individuals has come to us via surveys, and some of the findings are not what people expect when they think about happiness.  Here is a list of different aspects of our lives based on how they correlate with happiness:

What’s Not Very Important?

·         Money: The one thing that most of us think will make us happy turns out not to be very important at all in predicting happiness in individuals.  If you exclude those in extreme poverty, there’s little difference in happiness between working class and wealthy individuals.  Besides, the more money we make, the more we end up spending and just incurring greater debt.  Studying big-money lottery winners a year or so after their win has shown them to be as or less happy than before they won.

·         Age: Age appears to play a very small role in determining happiness.  We might assume that people become less happy as they age, but that’s not the reality.  Life, it appears, is about tradeoffs.  As we age, we have health issues, we often lose mobility, and we begin to think more about our own mortality.  However, people also become more mature, wiser, and, if they are able to retire, they have more time to pursue activities that they enjoy.

·         Gender: Women are more likely than men to experience bouts of depression, but, on the whole, gender doesn’t account for much concerning one’s happiness.

·         Parenthood: You might think that a new baby would bring couples closer together, but, once again, it’s a case of pros and cons.  When a newborn joins the family, the couple must focus attention on the baby.  And even as the child grows up there are peaks and valleys – the terrible twos, adolescence, dating, driving, etc.

·         Intelligence: Intelligent individuals seem to be well-equipped for success, especially in our technologically-advanced society.  However, intelligent people seem to be no more or less happy than their less intelligent cohorts.  It could be that less intelligent people don’t realize that they should worry more about things, while more intelligent do worry more about things.

·         Community: This one actually relates to where people live, as in urban or rural areas, and the research says that where one lives doesn’t relate very much to happiness.  It probably shows that the old saying, “there’s no place like home,” is true, even if one grows up in a poor neighborhood.

What is Somewhat Important?

·         Health: Most people, including me, would think that health is highly related to one’s happiness, but it is not.  Apparently, people are able to adapt to health problems and carry on with their lives.  And think about all the people who, after a major health scare, finally begin to appreciate and enjoy life more than ever.

·         Social Activity: People crave contact and social relationships with others, but this need is more important for some than others, depending on your personality.  I, for example, like to be around others, but, at the same time, I need a certain amount of solitude.  It could be that social activity either enhances one’s happiness or that people who are happier are more socially active.

·         Religion: Studies have shown religious people to be a bit happier than those who do not participate in religious services.  However, it could be that their small boost in happiness comes from the sense of purpose they derive from their beliefs and the social support and interaction they receive from their fellow parishioners.

What is Very Important?

·         Love/Marriage: Yes, apparently these can go together.  Actually, studies consistently show that married people are happier than their single counterparts.  As much as we gripe about our relationships, the need for love and companionship seems to be a very primal human need.  People risk heartbreak again and again in search of true love.  It must be true what they say, “It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.”

·         Work/Career: I have worked some jobs where I hated to go to work in the morning.  Liking or not liking your job can impact – for better or worse – all other aspects of your life. 

·         Personality: As it turns out, the biggest factor in one’s happiness is the one that we have the least control over.  This is due to the fact that one’s personality is largely inherited.  Extraverts tend to be somewhat happier than introverts, for example.  Optimists also tend to be happier than pessimists.  And, not surprisingly, people who like themselves – those high in self-esteem – tend to be happier.  While altering one’s personality is not impossible, working on behaviors that build character might be the best investment of one’s time and effort.

Predicting Our Future

The Future of Humanity

Making predictions is often difficult, especially about the future.

– Niels Bohr

We’ve never been very good at predicting the future, especially in the areas of technological innovation and human progress. Even the experts – the visionaries among us – have been far off the mark in seeing what’s coming down the road. Consider the following predictions that turned out to be less than insightful:

·         “Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” – Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

·         “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

·         “640K ought to be enough for anybody.” – Bill Gates, 1981

·         “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” – Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

·         “Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.” – Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

·         “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” – Western Union internal memo, 1876

·         “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” – David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s

·         “While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility.” – LeeDeForest, inventor

·         “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” – Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895

·         “Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” – Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre

·         “Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.” – Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929

·         “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” – Albert Einstein, 1932

·         “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” – Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899

Why such shortsightedness, even among experts in their respective fields?  I think that people get locked into the time in which they live, which makes it difficult for many to see how things could be in the future. Just look at science fiction, like that of Jules Verne, for example. Verne wrote about submarines, nuclear power, and space travel, and other wonders unbelievable during his time. Much of it, however, came to be. I look at current science fiction, like Star Wars and Star Trek, and I’m fairly confident that much of the far out technology, like interstellar travel and human teleportation, will come to pass. With the way technology is currently accelerating, I believe that humans – and eventually our descendants – will be able to do things that we currently can only dream of.

My Fitness Goals

For the next few months, I'll be reporting progress made toward reaching my personal fitness goals. I just turned 50, and I see high-level fitness as an extreme challenge. And I love a good challenge. My goal is to be in top shape by February. Currently, I weigh 225 at approximately 16% bodyfat. So, my goal is to get below 10% at around 205. The trick is to lose fat without sacrificing muscle. One has to lose fat slowly while lifting weights to maintain muscle. Losing about 1-2 lbs. a week is ideal.

I will be posting pictures and possibly videos to chronicle my progress. Please comment or ask questions. Just knowing that others may be monitoring my progress helps to motivate me.

Spirituality and Self-Improvement

How is Spirituality Related to Self-Improvement?

The deeper we look into nature, the more we recognize that it is full of life, and the more profoundly we know that all life is sacred and that we are united with all life that is in nature. Man can no longer live his life for himself alone. We realize that all life is valuable and that we are united to all this life. From this knowledge comes our spiritual relationship with the universe. – Albert Schweitzer

In a nutshell, consciousness makes us spiritual beings. So, it is within us to use our gift of self-reflection to examine our lives and to improve ourselves. That’s really special. As far as we know, we are the only species that can effectively engage in self-improvement. To me, then, improving ourselves through self-examination is the highest spiritual endeavor that we can engage in. This includes trying to better ourselves and to help others better themselves. Honing one’s spirituality is the result of developing one’s self and helping others to reach their goals. In brief, then, the highest spiritual calling is to build one’s character and to continually strive toward self-actualization. The lifelong process of learning how to become a truly good human being is the essence of spirituality.

Improving oneself – becoming a better human being – is a spiritual process. It begins with looking inside oneself and facing what’s there. People talk about the human soul. I see the soul as one’s character – that which comprises and defines you. So, soul building equates to character building. The human condition – all the suffering and difficulty in life – may be necessary in order to build one’s character, to make us better human beings.

Spirituality involves helping others, being kind and honest. What more could a spiritual person ask for in life than to be at ease with who they are, be satisfied with one’s life, and be content that one has done his best to be a good human being?  The true test of character is what you do when no one is watching, not even God. To me, the highest form of character is doing the right thing, not because God is watching and judging you, but simply because it is the right thing. That is the highest moral road that we can travel. In other words, doing good without the promise of reward or threat of punishment if you don’t, or doing good simply for its own sake, is the basis for a new, higher form of spirituality.

Does the American Dream Still Exist?

Does the American dream still exist?  Did it ever?  Americans once thought that anyone, from any walk of life, could find success, if they worked hard enough.  I believe that this possibility is becoming more difficult to achieve, mainly due to increasing economic inequality in this country.  Obviously, opportunity exists in America, but people of wealth have much more opportunity than do the poor.  Society should be doing more to make opportunity more equitable for everyone.  I realize that we can't equalize outcomes for individuals.  Some people simply work harder or are luckier than others.  However, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't at least try to equalize, as much as feasible, equality of opportunity.  To me, this is a matter of social justice.  Every human being deserves an equal opportunity to experience success, pursue happiness, and develop their full potential.

Check out this very informative video on why economic inequality is harmful to society:
http://inequality.org/richard-wilkinson-economic-inequality-harms-societies/