Embracing your inner child is easier for some than others because some of us never grow up. It’s funny because when you’re a child, you cannot wait to do adult things like stay up late, drive cars, and eat fancy food. Growing up, you long to be a child again with no responsibilities.
Funny how that works.
Being an adult is fun, but the responsibilities that come with it are part of the territory. Job, mortgage, kids, and paying the bills are fun stuff, aren’t they? But often, all those responsibilities leave no time for play (the legal kind), and that build-up of stress can increase health issues, one being an increasing waistline.
Guess the primary reason people seek out a personal trainer.
Like many trainers, I’ve had clients with great careers and responsibilities but little time for their health. Then, push comes to shove, and they have to make time. It’s great for me but not so great for them because I make them do stuff they don’t want to do.
Anyhow, all this got me thinking about embracing the inner child. I have no idea why, but I will go with it, and it should be a fun ride.
Inner Child Stuff
Sometimes, there is a conflict between adult Shane and inner child Shane. For instance, I was at a local playground with my 18-year-old son because he was waiting for some friends. So, we sat on the park bench, and then I noticed something.
They have a water park, and because it was hot, plenty of kids were running around having fun. These kids were running, squatting, jumping, and smiling all around. Inner child Shane wanted to join that fun because it was hot, and cooling off would have been nice. But adult Shane had different ideas.
Adult Shane piked up and reminded me I didn’t have any bathers or towels. An adult running with many kids may have looked a tad weird. Plus, I would’ve gotten my car seat soaking wet. Adult Shane won this round.
Recently, as it was 105 degrees (40 Celsius) in the Southern USA, sitting inside and banging on the computer keyboard, I was struck with an excellent thought. Why don’t I put on my bathers and run through the sprinkler? Not wanting to do it alone, I ran the idea past my 17-year-old son, who was in.
For 30 minutes, we were running., jumping, cooling off, and shooting the breeze.
Inner Child Shane 1 V Adult Shane 1
Well. I’m sure my lifetime scoreline would be much more lopsided because I don’t keep score, but my wife does. 😊 Anyhow, does this help the adult you?
Inner Child Play
When you were a kid, you were a blur of movement. Well. I know I was.
One moment, you’re tugging on your dad’s leg, saying come on, Dad, let’s play and the next, you’re chasing the cat throughout the house, tearing it up while your father is trying to figure out how you got from A to B like a flash.
Then, as I’ve already mentioned, adulting and responsibility take over, and this blur of movement turns into a crawl.
Does this sound familiar? When I talk about embracing your inner child regarding your health and fitness, I mean play. That’s right, play. But just in case you’ve forgotten about play, here is a reminder.
Play is an activity done for its own sake, with no real goal in mind, and play is characterized by flexibility and the positive effect it often has on the person playing, like smiling, laughing, and having fun. Evidence suggests that play not only burns calories but also plays (see what I did there) a vital role in the learning process. (1) & (2)
According to Michelle Segar, author of No Sweat, enjoyment (play and having fun) is the best motivator for exercise. “Logic doesn’t motivate us; emotions do,” says Segar. “People who exercise for enjoyment stick with it more than those who do it for medical reasons. You’re more likely to do something again when you enjoy it.”
That makes sense, right?
The best part of playing as an adult is moving, smiling, sweating, and burning calories without realizing it. Movement becomes joyful and not something to dread because embracing your inner child is good.
Wrapping Up
Acting like a child as an adult may look strange, but you shouldn’t care about what others think. It would be best to think about your health and ability to reduce stress, not whether you look silly. You should play like nobody is watching.
References
- Learning Through Play PETER K SMITH, BA, PhD ANTHONY PELLEGRINI, PhD Goldsmiths, University of London, UNITED KINGDOM University of Minnesota, USA
- Smith PK. Children’s play and its role in early development: A re-evaluation of the ‘Play Ethos.’ In: Pellegrini AD, ed. Psychological Bases for Early Education. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.; 1988: 207-226.
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