I recently bought myself a fitness watch. It was a replacement for an earlier version that I lost at the beach whilst on holidays. I was desperate to get a new watch because I felt myself getting unfit; clearly the simple joy of exercise alone wasn’t enough to make me resume running. So, I bought the watch, but I haven’t yet started running. I’ve paused running because I haven’t recovered from a repetitive-type injury caused by too much running.
I often wonder what my ancient and not-so-ancient ancestors would think of my life and lifestyle.
I’m woken in the morning, not by the sun or rooster, but from a little black box chiming a soothing yet chirpy tune. My family members leave home in the morning to go out to separate faraway places by vehicles. We sit in the vehicles, then we spend the day sitting, then we sit on our way home. Despite all this sitting, when we reconvene in the evening, we are exhausted and give our worst to each other; we often just want to be left alone to our solo entertainment. My extended family all live at least half-a-days walk away from us and most of my close friends are even further.
But life is simple. Or rather, a mentally healthy lifestyle is simple.
When I first meet a depressed client, during the first session, I give them a mentally healthy lifestyle checklist. This checklist is based on solid research. This is the list:
- Do some exercise most days
- Have some good social connection most days
- Eat a moderate amount of healthy food most days
- Do not consume drugs or alcohol most days
- Keep a consistent sleep routine most days
- Do at least one meaningful achievement-based activity most days
- Do a pleasurable activity most days
Simple list, right? People who live according to the list above are much less likely to experience depression and other mental health disorders. So, my job should be easy. I just give the list and the client does the rest.
Of course, its not that easy. Everyone I speak to understands this list. But they always find one or more items to be a challenge. It is in this challenge that the real psychologising begins.
I suspect that my ancestors would find my job to be seriously baffling. This is because, I suspect, they would find the list above to be not only easy, but to be natural, and second nature (if not first nature).
In ancestorland, our unhealthy food and alcohol are rare and expensive. Exercise is done daily during meaningful work activities with friends and family with whom you share a deep connection. Pleasure is enjoyed through company, with music and storytelling.
That was then…
So here and now, we need shrinks and other external aids to help recreate or approximate the healthy lifestyle of old.
Which brings me to my smart fitness watch.
When I first bought a fitness watch about 5 or 6 years ago, I aimed to reach 10,000 steps per day. I soon set other goals, running goals. How many kms per month could I do. I escalated these goals; my watch goaded me on. I averaged nearly 14,000 steps per day last year. I didn’t have the time to do it, I probably didn’t need to do it, but I did it.
Which brings me to my foot injury. After averaging over 14,000 steps per day, my poor left foot gave it in. I’m resting it now and my average is suffering. My poor average!
Which brings me to my point: In the search to recreate the benefits of the lifestyle of old we moderns often miss the point. We care about the measure, not the man. Gamifying exercise can lead to health improvements. But it can also lead to seriously wrong results. I am a living testimony to this.
When we care about the Measure and not the Man, perverse outcomes ensue. For me, other forms of exercise or stretches seemed not only irrelevant, but a hindrance. Is it any wonder I got injured? Focusing on steps and running is like eating only one type of food. A healthy food. But a diet that consists only of a single healthy food is hardly a diet at all.
The smart watch is only as smart as its owner. And people like me turn out to be not very wise much of the time. I think the answer is to find exercise that is intrinsically motivating, not based to pushing the limits of personal bests and keeping up streaks. Exercise that is fun, playful and connects you to people you care about.
But who has time for that? For now, I’m waiting for this foot to heal, then getting back to my 10,000 steps.