The religion of GYMMING

I dunno what it is, but no matter what state i'm in, there's one thing that always gets me going - The euphoria of a good work out! Working day in and day out, late nights and weekends, all the stress in the world put together on one side - and the sweet ache of a pulsating, blood throbbing workout on the other side - it's a perfect balance.

The way i see it, i'm a religious man - only that for me religion is not big temples and structures and idols and flowers - its about pushing my body to a new level - 'working out' is religion to me. If we see it closely, work outs are like devotional offerings of a sort - a dedication towards a higher ideal. My Devotion. It is what i look forward to every day. Only difference between me and a 'religious' man being that, for me, MY BODY is my temple. I carry my temple along with me everywhere i go. And no matter where i am, i can always devote a few moments to it.
And just the way religious folk find solace in their visits to a temple/mosque/gurudwara, i find mine in a good work out.

You find people working out to get thin, to model, to look good, to fit in - Just like the 'DEVOTEES' who visit the temple coz their family thinks they should, or coz the cute chick from their colony goes there too.
The result in both cases: they drop out of the gym/temple routine in a few days or months and get back to the way they were before. Time lost. Nothing gained.

People say they don't find time. People say that they live a hectic life.
Ever hear a religious person say he doesn't find time for prayer????
It's all about prioritization. About FINDING time to do what you want. Those who want it, will find the time for it.
It may not be a full blown work out session at times - it may just be about taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or about walking home instead of taking the car (working alongside on the mobile phone), or doing a quick set of 30 push-ups before you take your bath! What matters is that you devote yourself to it. That you find the time for it.

I see people getting older day by day - even before they are 25! flopping paunches and lethargic attitudes, chubby faces and wrinkling skin, finding time to sit by the road side to take a breath and listen to their swanky i-pods - damn! they make my grandmother seem like RAMBO to me! Aging has hit them even before they crossed their youth! why? coz somehow they find all the time in the world for everything else but for the only thing that'll last them their lifetime - their body!

I dont know why, but somehow, the concept of working out, as a religion to me is very appealing.
Its the only religion that i've know that has no barriers and discrimination. Everyone is accepted into the religion - Everyone with faith enough to devote themselves to their own betterment. Your caste, creed, birth, color - nothing bloody matters!

All that matters is the WILL to endure the pain that grips your lungs when you take that run beyond the last mile, the DETERMINATION to stop that iron from toughing the ground when you think your muscles have given up on you, the DESIRE to push yourself beyond the limits you've known, the OBSTINATE NEED to take on that entire set even when you sweat yourself dry and your eyes blur red.

And when you are done - it sets in.
A sweet euphoria. A dizzy high.
The aching pleasure of a prayer well done.

Yeah, thats how it is. And that... sounds like religion to me.