One of the questions I frequently come across is why we put such an emphasis on developing the body and improving physical performance.
While it’s known that physical activity is a must many places approach exercise and nutrition as a means to prevent health and life risks such as:
- obesity
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- depression
- diabetes
- stroke
- heart attack
and the list goes on of how exercise and nutrition will prevent all those negative things. But as we know, the more negative thoughts we think about, the more negative energy we attract. That’s the power of words.
The Kū lifestyle is the philosophy of approaching life with the purpose of becoming stronger. I believe the stronger you get, great things start to happen to you. But don’t take my word for it. Words can only go so far, but to me it’s logical and can also be backed up with science.
The Science Behind Building a Kū Body
A study in 2005 by health professor Jim McKenna found that exercise increased overall work performance and productivity by 15 percent. Researchers in Harvard found that post-workout blood flow creates an optimal environment in your body for accomplishing tasks that take focus.
Another study showed that after exercise “participants returned to work more tolerant of themselves and more forgiving of their colleagues.” <fn>Workers More Productive After Work</fn> In 2008, a study from the University of Bristol noted that workers who exercised took 25 percent less unscheduled breaks than those who didn’t.<fn>Study Resource</fn>
Yes, training hard and watching your diet can improve your physical appearance: losing fat, packing on lean muscle, getting a six pack, or whatever else you are after. But aside from the physical appearance, there are more than meets the eye (Yup, I just quoted Transformers).
Another point to keep in mind are your hormone levels. Exercise can specifically target a physiological response and naturally increase your testosterone levels and decrease cortisol.
This can set you up for even more awesomeness:
- Better sleep
- Burn more fat
- Increase confidence
- Increase strength
- Build more muscle
- Increase sex drive
But Why Start with the Body?
Because your body is the expression of yourself. Your body and mind are ONE. They are not separate. If your body feels restricted, your mind is restricted from it’s full potential.
When your body feels fragmented your mind and spirit becomes fragmented. What happens when you get angry and pissed off because someone just cut you off in traffic and threw up a big ‘fuck you’?
You get pissed off. Your heart begins to race, you begin to clench your teeth, maybe you act out by sending a ‘fuck you’ right back. So you can’t deny that there is no separation of the mind and body.
When you build up your body, you build up your mind and spirit. There are many people who only focus on the mental aspect of things but lose sight of their health and importance of physical performance. Those who do that, do not open themselves up to their fullest potential.
There are others who become very spiritual and lack the physicality of strength and performance. While they give off the sense of inner peace, they are missing on the vigor of physical aggression. Aggression is not negative. It is only negative if you act our negatively.
Your Body is Your Vehicle
You live out your own hero journey through the actions of your body. The message you have to share with the world is expressed through the movement of your body.
The food you intake, the exercise you do, the thoughts you keep, the people you surround yourself with and the lifestyle you choose to live all have an effect on who you become. But once you hone in on building up your body and take advantage of the positive effects whilehonestly expressing yourself, then you’ll start to see the power of YOU.
But it starts with building a Kū body.
It’s time to be You.
It’s time to be Kū.
