Prison Journal: Day 8,203
January 24, 2010
I frequently speak with men who self-surrender to prison. When they hear that I’ve been incarcerated since 1987, they want to know how I’ve managed to serve so much time without losing my mind.
The truth is that prison has strengthened me on many levels, and I appreciate opportunities to suggest strategies that will help others. Besides an individual routine to advance the mind and spirit, every individual benefits, I’m convinced, by making a commitment to improve physical fitness.
The news reports frequently describe obesity problems in the United States, and I see those problems clearly when new prisoners self-surrender. I suppose that when a person has family, career, and social responsibilities, it becomes easy to disregard the importance of daily exercise. A lack of exercise together with bad eating habits can lead to debilitating health problems. Prison can be a good place to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
When new prisoners begin to incorporate exercise into their daily routines, benefits come quickly. Numerous times, I’ve seen prisoners drop 50 pounds during their first three months in prison. When they lose that weight, their energy level picks up and their health conditions improve. Some men resolve problems with diabetes, hypertension, and blood pressure as they exercise daily. Many overweight people snore loudly when they begin serving their sentences, but as they drop the weight, their snoring ceases to shake the building.
Exercise may begin with walking a few slow laps around the track. Eventually, the prisoner may increase the time he spends walking, or use some of the cardio machines like stationary bicycles or elliptical machines. Prisoners can build up their stamina to jog, or incorporate strength training. The important commitment to stay active, I’m convinced, can make time in prison pass easier and more productively. That’s a message I always share with my fellow prisoners.
This morning I ran my regular 10 miles and I followed the run with 500 pushups.
[Consecutive running log: 3,620 miles over the past 408 days]
[Pushups in 2010: 7,700]
Sunday, 24 January 2010
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