I just finished listening to an hour-long discussion on "The Diane Rehm Show" about the (ostensibly) "oldest, most natural and inexpensive" form of exercise, running, with 3 top experts who've all experienced major injuries and medical expenses, huge investments of money on running shoes, running coaches, running workshops, running magazines, and untold hours running in severe weather elements. Banging one's head with a rock is an old, natural and inexpensive exercise too, and it HURTS, too...
Of course, before I get too finger-pointy here I must acknowledge that I am and have been for many years a figure-skater, and have experienced major injuries and medical and dental expenses, huge investments of money on skates and blades, skating coaches, skating workshops, skating magazines, skating competitions, and untold hours skating in frigid indoor temperatures (and, fyi, because I sweat a LOT I often look like I'm smoldering...).
My point here is that we ought not kid ourselves by rationalizing our particular exercise fanaticisms as "natural" or "inexpensive" - they're just flat out NOT. Unless, of course, you believe as my good friend Pat Lee does, that walking is an ideal form of exercise. The last time I checked she hadn't experienced major injuries and medical expenses or spent a fortune on shoes or paraphernalia, and she walks when she wants to and doesn't when she doesn't. I think she has a point. And, unlike the rest of us high-end, high-injury, high-cost, specific-preference exercise fanatics, it's not on the top of her head...!
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