Exercise Elsewhere

We had heard that tai chi happens at the lake about 5.30am  (yikes 5.30?), and that the women meet up down at the lake, then go into the markets to buy the days food, fresh every day of course.  So off we went.  Nice to stretch our legs and be able to walk more calmly without the traffic.

Not so much a trickle.......

When we rounded the corner we walked into a river of people all moving, walking, cycling, running around the wide walking paths and road that circles the lake.  When I saw all the groups doing exercise together on the foreshore, I was moved to tears seeing so many content people all together.  As well, because  there was no traffic, there were no honking horns,  the brain could relax, a little,  without the concern of some random scooter or truck coming from any crazy angle.

There were many different large groups of ladies doing "tai chi". It was more like calisthenics really.  There was a loud speaker with a scratchy sounds track, counting out the beat and one very very old lady out in front.  Another group had red fans and were preparing to start,
Yet another were a group of men, with a couple gym stations and some heavy dumbells, shoulder press, bench press, push ups off the park bench.  After a while the ladies commenced tai chi proper.  This time there was a younger man who lead them through their moves, incredibly slowly.  They all followed, but all at different speeds!  Who cares, it wasn't for show. And they were al great and some were very old.

What is lesson for us?

No one was here under sufferance. It was a joyful atmosphere.  These people all work pretty hard physically during a typical day and still find the energy to exercise in the morning.

It was the coolest part of the day.
Uncle Ho (Ho chi Minh) was in favour of tai chi and practiced daily.  So culturally, politically and personally, exercise is held in high esteem.  This is in part due to good leadership and good role models.

Why is so tricky for us in the west?

Why do we have such a love/hate relationship with exercise?  Is is because physical work was/is regarded as low status?  We know exercise is doing us good, we always feel better for having done it.  Have we evolved to look for the easy way out, i.e. to be economical with our movements.

We, in the west, definitely have something to learn here.

At the lake first thing in the morning, Hanoi