Just Go Play
A reprimand for the little person inside us.
Prefer to listen? Click play on the audio track above to hear SVB read you these words.
And don’t forget your Reflection Points at the end.
OF ALL THE luxuries I had as a child, there may be no more cherished than my backyard, which swept around all sides of our house that sat kitty-cornered on a beautifully treed lot.
It was meticulously maintained by my father – an endeavor that took up a full weekend day and generated a notable amount of sweat – and it served as the carpet underneath my bare feet as soon as the weather allowed it.
I spent hours out there. Alone. Crafting performances on one elevated area that felt like a stage, playing solo baseball (a skill in and of itself) in another section with certain trees and stumps designated as bases.
There were a lot of cartwheels. Handstands. And corresponding bumps and bruises.
Bike rides – filled with pumping and coasting – serving as my first taste of freedom.
Suffice it to say, I didn’t need to be told to “go play.” But I’d argue that has less to do with being athletically inclined and more to do with being a child of a different generation.
You know this yourself. Whether you were a kid who preferred to roam slowly or one hellbent on winning a game of tag or capture the flag, there’s a good chance you also passed large swaths of time outdoors – moving. And structured sports and activities aside, this free play, if you will, was where we all had the chance to be exploratory: Imaginations sparking games that prompted our brain and body to be on the same team.
So where and when and why do we ditch spending time in our proverbial backyards?
Should we blame responsibilities? Technology? Or is there another aspect of adulting that feels like an appropriate scapegoat for losing our ability to play?
Because I actually don’t think we’ve lost it. But we have replaced it. With systems and practices dubbed as “fitness” that make movement – also known as exercise – far more complicated than it needs to be. We set goals and track metrics viewing activity as a means to an end.
As opposed to it just being a way to spend part of your day.
And here’s the thing: When it comes to your actual health and vitality, your body doesn’t care if you PRed the lift or if you beat your time on the mile.
All it wants is to move.
Bend. Twist. Hinge. Rotate. All the things it was designed to do.
So don’t discount the walk around the neighborhood. Or perusing that trail in that park that might cause you to – gasp – drive half an hour away.
Rent a bike if you don’t own one.
Test your balance walking tightrope on the curb.
Shoot some hoops or play a game of tennis (up to you if you keep score).
Garden.
Build a sandcastle – and while you’re at it, body surf. Back float.
Because I can think of no better marker of fitness than having the capacity to do the things we did in our youth.
It just requires us to see the value in doing them.
In finally understanding why adults are always telling kids to “go outside and play.”
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Coming Up Next Week: Dirt Between Our Toes
The power of connecting our feet to the earth.
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Write them, think them, talk them. There is no right or wrong way to navigate these prompts. Except to go into them without judgment or expectation. Be curious. And honest. Have the courage to sit with yourself.
Think back to when you were a kid. What was your absolute favorite, completely un-optimized way to pass the time outside? Was it roaming aimlessly, riding a bike just to feel the wind, or creating a game out of nothing? What would it look like to bring a tiny, 10-minute slice of that specific energy into your life this week?
Identify one movement practice you love that has slowly been transformed into a performance metric. This week, challenge yourself to do it completely “un-scored.” Leave the smartwatch inside, don’t look at the clock, don’t count the rep and do not keep score. Notice how this feels for your brain AND your body.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to actually wander? In the days ahead, see if you can spark a feeling of curiosity outdoors: Turn down a neighborhood street you’ve never explored, visit a new trail just to see where it leads, or take the long, winding way home. Practice moving for the sake of curiosity, not just transit.
Love this, now go swinging on a swing!