PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE

I’ve always tried to live what I considered to be a more active lifestyle in order to stay as healthy as I could.  However, during these past two months I’ve discovered that I’ve been going about it entirely wrong.  It seems that I should have been more passive.  In other words, I should have pursued more “passive activities”.

I always thought that when I was reading a book, listening to music, sewing, cooking, or watching television that I was more passive since these things are more relaxing and certainly don’t cause my heart rate to accelerate.  On the other hand when I’m taking a walk for exercise, hiking on a trail, or working out at the gym I have always thought of these things as being active.  My heart rate and fast breathing certainly let me know I’m being active.

Somehow during this pandemic some genius has coined the term “passive use”.  These words are now used in the following sentence, “Passive use only, such as walking, jogging, or hiking.”  This sentence has been posted on trails, parks, beaches, or wherever people go to enjoy the great outdoors.  Following the logic of that posting I would assume that they also don’t want you to “Actively stop, stand, sit, or lie down” either.

I guess I had it wrong all along and I shouldn’t have felt bad when I spent the better part of a day listening to music while I read a good book, or spent hours sitting at my sewing machine.  According to the new terminology I was being quite “active” while doing these things.  I certainly didn’t know that walking, jogging, hiking, or biking were considered “passive use” activities.  Wow, I really was wrong!

I think Mr. Webster needs another revised edition of his dictionary.

Well, now that I’ve already gone for a one hour “passive use” activity for the day, I think I will get my book and pursue a much more “active use” activity for the remainder of the day.  Now if only my scale knew that I was being more active!