Bayside Dietetics
By Sarah Smith of Bayside Dietetics
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This is the story of Hare, who bought a FitBit, and Tortoise, who didn’t. As always, my blogs are an interpretation of up-to-date research, so there is evidence behind the message of this story.
Hare was always making fun of Tortoise. “Do you ever have the latest gadgets?” he asked with a mocking laugh. “This is my jump counter. It counts every jump I do and helps me to jump 10,000 times every day. Do you ever move that much?”
“Yes” replied Tortoise. “I move more often than you think. Let’s have a competition and prove it.”
Hare was much amused by Tortoise’s idea, but for the fun of things he agreed.
Fox, who was a friend of them both, kept a tally. Every time they each moved 10,000 steps or jumps, he would mark it off.
Hare’s tally soon took off. He constantly looked at his jump counter and got a mark for 10,000 jumps every day.
After a few days, he grew tired of his jump counter. It stopped feeling exciting and in fact started to feel like a chore. He sat back and had a rest.
The tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly and steadily. She walked along the creek. She climbed on the playgrounds. She even used her shell to play 4-square with friends. All the while she laughed and enjoyed herself.
After a time, Tortoise’s tally moved past the tally of Hare. Hare kept resting, unmotivated to reach 10,000 jumps each day. When at last Hare woke up to what was going on, Tortoise’s tally was well beyond his. Hare suddenly tried to catch up but it was too late. Tortoise had won the competition.
Movement is not always to the one who is motivated by external gadgets, but to the one who feels natural joy and connection from the movement itself.
