Welcome to the first episode of The Socially Conscious Squatter. The concept of this show is built on the philosophy that most of our community problems stem from not respecting our nature, chiefly, our natural inclinations for movement, nutritious food, and time outdoors away from digital stimulation. I’ve written a great deal about the community role in fitness – how healthy lifestyle change, whether that be eating healthier, working out, etc. are far harder to do against the tide of a culture that doesn’t value these things. These goals are made even more difficult by the failures of our education system to give an understanding of environmental patterns that don’t serve us, much less a competency in physical literacy or nutrition. There is a community role in fitness and promoting healthy lifestyle change. Eating healthier and working out are far harder to do against the tide of a culture that doesn’t value these things, and our education system fails to create an understanding of competency in physical literacy or nutrition.
Justin Lind and I explore these issues and more here in the podcast below. We make a case for shifting your training mindset toward skill acquisition and we examine why kettlebells and calisthenics are ideal tools for this approach. We also discuss the societal causes of poor mental health that may relate to the rise of mass shootings, exploring the role of an environment devoid of outlets for physical, mental, and emotional health. This is a thought-provoking discussion that touches on everything from the relative academic performance of boys and girls, to play, rites of passage, and physical education.
Mental health and physical health cannot be conceived of separately. We should seek to train the whole person with an understanding of the inseparable dependency of our physical, emotional, and mental states. People are starving for what the fitness community offers. It is up to us to bring them in the door.
