By: Sophia Akuffo Minkah-Premo
Sophia Minkah-Premo
Why I believe jogging is not for everyone?
Jogging is regarded as a very useful exercise. Many athletes and keep-fit fanatics do this quite regularly. Some people may prefer it to any other form of exercise, but I prefer any other type of exercise to jogging. Let me use my own personal anecdote to prove my point. This morning, I woke up at 6:17am, 17 minutes after morning aerobics was supposed to start. Believe it or not, I was elated. Deep inside, I was hoping everyone had left and maybe I could rest a little longer, but I was definitely wrong about that. My room mates and I were dressing up when a mentor came knocking at our door quite aggressively. I was disappointed.
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” ― Friedrich Nietzche
They hadn’t all left! So unlike what I do on my normal aerobic days which is just washing my face and heading to the court, I decided to buy myself some more time by brushing my teeth. While doing so, so ‘gracefully’ some more mentors came and this time, they were male mentors. Darn! With their manly voices which seemed to have unconsciously alarmed me, I suddenly decided to hurry.
So the walk began. Yes walk, not jog. To be frank with you, jogging is really confusing. It’s neither running nor walking, it is the application of both, and I am not ready to apply those two at the same time so I chose just one, walking.
“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.” ― A. A. Milne,
Minutes passed and people jogged past my friend and me. Before we realized, the main group was way ahead of us. But this was no competition or final challenge, it was just JOGGING, so I tried my best to keep my slow pace. After all, I was taught not to try to be like others (the joggers) but to be myself and use my abilities to cause the change or in this case, prevent any casualties (fainting, or falling and rolling somewhere else, or even puking). We finally caught up with the others. The mentors I was with were very understanding, and my itching and burning thighs took comfort in that.
“The reason I exercise is for the quality of life I enjoy.” – Kenneth H. Cooper
I actually felt I couldn’t make it. I was tired, miserable, sweaty, nauseous and breathless. What a wonderful way to start a day.
This story may not be convincing enough to make you believe jogging, especially up or down a hill, is definitely not for everyone but I just really wanted to share some parts of this very gruelling experience and have some sympathizers. At this juncture, I’ll also like to inform fellow readers that I am starting a movement; the People Against Jogging (PAJ) movement, so if you are interested please see me or send an email.
PAJ!
Response: Ain’t nobody got time for that!
“Fitness needs to be perceived as fun and games or we subconsciously avoid it.” – Alan Thicke
“Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart.” – Gene Tunney
“A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I’m afraid of widths.” – Steven Wright
The Ashesi Innovation Experience (AIX) 