A Physical Path To Albion Begins

Nothing would please me more than to continue writing about Vintage in  all it's forms, it was this that this Blog started with it's main purpose of using Fashion, Design & Style as vessels if you like that would steer me toward my own Albion. Recently however, well a couple of months back, the girl noticed I had bagan to "put on a few pounds".

Now I have ALWAYS been  a complete "ectomorph". Skinny as you like, eating whatever I wish, whenever. I've always been completely indifferent about food. It certainly never made any sense to me to spend more time cooking something that the time it would actually take me to eat it.

So now noticing my little round pot New Delhi, something had to be done. I've got beautifully cut trousers, many a one off in a 32" waist and I absolutely panicked to think I could  become too big to not fit in them.  

Though I had  a problem. I haven't taken part in any form of excercise since I left college at 18, I've smoked everyday, binge drank my way through my 20's and I fear my slender frame may have something to do with my willingness to sample evreything that every narcotic buffet had to offer all the way through the noughties. And I liked being slim, I often said, "you'll never see a fat  Mod".  And you wouldn't. The cut of suits I loved so so much, favour themmselves to be worn on a slim frame.

So it was actually by chance  and to my utter relief a couple of weeks ago I came across an article that has since motivated me to go running every day since reading it. It was from the excellent online magazine called  "The Art Of Manliness".

This was the first of their series on the "5 switches of Manliness". Physicality. And I liked the idea of adopting their maxim " - By small and simple means I will flip the switches of manliness.”

When seeking to activate the deeply encoded parts of primitive masculinity, there is no better place to start than physicality. Primitive man used his body all day every day: building, hunting, walking, dancing, fighting.

For modern man, these activities have been replaced with sitting. Many of us sit for twelve hours or more a day. Sit down for breakfast, sit in the car on the way to work, sit at your desk all day, sit in your car on the way home from work, sit in front of the tv at night….Rinse and repeat

It quite rightly goes on to say (you can see I'm converted already) that we  were born to run. http://artofmanliness.com/2011/05/22/the-5-switches-of-manliness-physicality/#comments

Our bodies were made to move. We’re beings of flesh, bone, and muscle. If we weren’t designed to move, we would have evolved to be great blobs of tissue–human clams. 

And excercise in general. Anyone who has exercised regularly is familiar with the phenomenon of the “runner’s high.” It has been described by researchers as:

pure happiness, elation, a feeling of unity with one’s self and/or nature, endless peacefulness, inner harmony, boundless energy, and a reduction in pain sensation.

That’s a pretty powerful feeling. Can you really expect to feel fully alive without a regular dose of it? It’s no wonder that studies have shown that exercise is just as effective as antidepressants in treating clinical depression.

I've chased many highs in the past, so one more shouldn't hurt!  I won't bang on, it's fair to say the article would have to be read for yourself! Man or Woman!

I'm not long back from a run myself, and very pleasant it was too. I'm kind of sitting here all smug. I "go for runs" now. It used to baffle me why peolple did it. They never even got anywhere, their destination was their starting point, literally going round in circles. And I once read it was also, research proved to be an utter waste of time. Saying, the exact amount of time you spend running is probably what you will add to your life expectancy. So, you may have well have been doing something else. Something you enjoyed. Chasing a high maybe? I'm no longer of that mind set. I actually enjoy it. And also starting more excercises, weights and stretches. Also, taking up Martial Arts again in a couple of weeks. Good Lord, all from one article. And a pot belly.