Do You Have a Six-Pack?

For some reason, whenever people find out that I teach exercise classes, one of the first questions they ask is, "Do you have a six-pack?" I think it's actually a very interesting question. What the person is really asking is, "Do you look muscular? Do you look like you could take off your shirt at the beach and show off your abs?" I'm not sure why that's what immediately comes to mind when someone hears that I exercise regularly. Personally, I think it screams vanity. Is that really why we're exercising? So we can take off our shirts and show off a six-pack? I think there are far more important questions we should be asking when trying to determine whether someone is benefiting from an exercise program.

How about starting with: What's your resting heart rate? Thank G-d, after exercising consistently for over 10 years, my resting heart rate is in the low 40s. When I donated my kidney, the doctors kept coming in to check my heart rate. Even though I explained, "No, no, I teach exercise classes. This is normal for me," they continued checking. I think I had about eight doctors come in because they couldn't believe how low it was! At my last physical, my regular doctor even told me that if he didn't know how much I exercised, he would have sent me straight to the hospital. Now, a low resting heart rate isn't automatically a sign of good health for everyone, but in someone who exercises consistently, it can be a sign of cardiovascular fitness. Isn't that a more meaningful conversation? How strong and efficient is your heart?

Here's another question: Do you feel energized throughout the day and throughout the week? Isn't it more important to know whether we have the energy to accomplish our daily activities without running out of steam? Do you crash at 3:00 in the afternoon, or do you have the stamina to keep going? Do you have enough energy to get through the week, take care of your responsibilities, spend time with your family, and still feel good? To me, that's a much better measurement of what exercise is doing for your life.

What about: Do you feel strong? And I don't mean strong enough to lift a car! I mean, can you comfortably carry things throughout the day? Can you bring in the groceries, carry young children, move things around the house, and perform normal everyday activities without struggling? I've had people in their 40s tell me they're already having difficulty opening bottles, jars, and other everyday items. That's something worth paying attention to at that age. We need to use our muscles and maintain our strength, because these are the muscles we're going to depend on as we get older.

How about your cognitive skills? Are you able to concentrate? Do you feel mentally sharp? Exercise isn't just about our muscles and our hearts. Research has shown that regular physical activity can benefit brain health, memory, and cognitive function. Isn't maintaining a sharp mind as we age a much more worthwhile goal than having visible abdominal muscles?

And here's another one: How are your stress levels? Do you find that exercise helps you de-stress? I know that when I first started exercising, I was working at a somewhat stressful job, and I found exercise to be an enormous stress reliever. It gave me an opportunity to step away from everything, clear my head, and come back feeling refreshed. That's a benefit I continue to appreciate today.

So the next time you meet someone who exercises regularly, or someone who teaches exercise classes, perhaps consider asking a few different questions. Ask about their heart health, their energy, their strength, their mental sharpness, or their stress levels. These are things that can make a real difference in how we live our lives, not just how we look in the mirror.

Because at the end of the day, I'd much rather have a healthy heart, a strong body, a sharp mind, and plenty of energy than a six-pack to show off at the beach.