A Plea for the Sedentary

    My life style is physical. I run every morning, do push-ups before I go to bed, and work out when I have time. However, when I come home with my legs hurting from exercise, dragging on the ground, I wish my life style were a sedentary one.

    I have got used to being so physical that I cannot stop moving. For me, being sedentary is a luxury. However, as a student, my job is to “sit on your butt all day long and read and read and read…” So when I start studying, I always tell myself that I will try, at least try, to stay focused on the book. But not long after that, I find myself escaping from my chair. I attempted to change my lifestyle gradually by adding both physical and sedentary elements to my life—do push-ups while reading a book. This was not useful either. Most of the time, I would concentrate too much on the physical that I forget about the reading.

    I admire my friends who are able to stay at home all day playing video games—this is exactly what I lack. Although sedentary people are always depicted as unhealthy and lazy, I do hope that I am somewhat sedentary so that I could sit still for a little while. To me, someone who cannot endure a life without the physical, settling down for a bit is a dream. Therefore, I sincerely plead those who are trying to get rid of their couch-potato lifestyle, thinking that it is wrong, to remain who you are, because sitting still may become an impossibility once you adapt to your new lifestyle.