The Physical Side Of Life

Being active and physical are things that are very important to me. I haven't always been like this however as I was very lazy as a child. I had a mostly sedentary existence apart from an hour a week of soccer which was not nearly enough to be fit and healthy. I would sit inside, watching tv or reading a book more often than not; with no inclination of going outside. I had a very sedentary upbringing as none of my family did any sports or was active in any way. I am still to this day angry that my parents didn't sign me up for enough sports. I was an overweight, lazy kid. I was very involved in singing and I read lots of books, but sports didn't really interest me all that much. This trend would continue until I moved to Vancouver and discovered tennis at the age of 12. Not surprisingly, I discovered tennis while watching tv. I was instantly taken by watching the professional tennis players play on tv, and I wanted to try this sport for myself. My parents signed me up for lessons and I loved it every time I went. It was at this time that I made the transition from a sedentary to a physical person. I suddenly longed for the  outdoors, playing with my friends outside and playing lots of sports. When it rained, I would play tennis indoors and enjoy the thrill of physical exertion. My love of physical activity and the outdoors blossomed with each coming day. I went on canoe trips during the summer that pushed my endurance to the limit and went to summer camp each summer. I continue to enjoy the physical side of life more than ever. It's so much more rewarding to come through a hard two hours of tennis than to stay home and go on the computer or watch tv. I must admit I still do a fair bit of that, but I enjoy being physically active much more than being sedentary. When I'm sitting in a math class bored out of my wits, I yearn for freedom of the outdoors. I wish I could just run until I'm spent and escape the prison of the math classroom. I have made a huge transformation as I've grown up by being more physical, and I much prefer this to a sedentary existence. It's a very important part of my life and I hope others will discover the wonders of physical activity and the outdoors, just as I have.