Last December, I sheepishly admitted there was a huge gap in my nerd credibility.
I grew up drawing animation, took AP Art in high school, and have always been fascinated by hand-drawn animation…
But I had it I have never watched a single second of any Studio Ghibli animation!
Studio Ghibli is the Japanese equivalent of Disney, with Hayao Miyazaki playing Japan's Walt: the studio has won numerous Oscars for its beautifully hand-drawn animated films, and Miyazaki has reached legendary status making these films over the past 40-plus years.
Fortunately, the amazing Threads community gave me hundreds of supportive comments and helped me decide which movie to start with!
Since this announcement was made, I have watched All 20+ Studio Ghibli films, I fell in love with JapanHe became endlessly fascinated by Hayao Miyazaki.
(My favorites are Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper of the Heart, and The Wind Rises.).
After watching each film, I moved on to watching documentaries about Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli because I needed to learn more.
Thanks to these documentaries, I got a fascinating look into Miyazaki's creative style and his experiences in making these films alongside his co-workers.
The running joke was that Miyazaki was a “never-ending man” who never seemed to retire.
There was something that caught my attention in each documentary:
in Kingdom of dreams and madness, At one point, all the employees at Studio Ghibli stood up and moved through a series of movement and calisthenics exercises, including Miyazaki.
Later in the document, she notes Miyazaki demonstrates a very deep squat Perfectly and without assistance. How many people do you know in their mid-70s who can do a deep squat without help!?
in The Never Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, Miyazaki is He was photographed several times chopping wood With an ax in the backyard of his studio.
And in Hayao Miyazaki and The HeronMiya-san (his nickname), now in his eighties, still chops wood, goes for walks in the forest, climbs fallen trees, does his desk exercises, and works hard on the film that will culminate in his life's work.
(Yes, I know. Miyazaki also has a cigarette in his mouth for almost every minute of every documentary! He's lucky he hasn't gotten lung cancer yet, and I remember he's not the picture of health!).
I bring this up because I think it shows a different side of exercise than we might normally consider.
Training for your old person's body
Watch this doc showing Hayao Miyazaki staying active and keeping his mind sharp well into his 80s…
I've been reminded of this Amazing post from Elizabeth (@ThisGirlLifts on Instagram):
As we get older, it becomes easier for us to move less, which gives us less energy, and makes it harder to find the momentum and movement to keep moving. This may prevent us from spending time with our family or friends because we are unable to muster the energy.
Teddy Roosevelt once said: “Let us rather risk corrosion than rust.”
In other words: use it or lose it, Bob.
It's not a stretch for me to imagine that Miyazaki's ability to be a “never-ending man” is due not only to good genetics (and luck), but also because he actively chooses to corrode rather than rust.
When considering why he chose to push himself to complete another animated film in his eighth decade on the planet, he simply replied that it was all he knew how to do: “I would rather die doing this than doing nothing.”
Fitness is more than just losing weight
At Nerd Fitness, we encourage all Rebels to think about their “big why”:
Why bother exercising, building new habits, and pushing yourself to level up your life when the couch looms?
What's the point of overexerting yourself and learning how to deal with discomfort when retreating into comfort is easier and more appealing?
A really strong “big why” can help us stay on target especially when life turns into a dumpster fire or when we want to give up.
For Miyazaki, he decided that “getting out of myself” was a worthy use of his time. He found peace and contentment by creating things rather than consuming them, which means he needs to take care of his body enough to stay alive long enough to accomplish those things!
For my rules (from I visited the hospital last month), her goal is to support her community and help those around her. Staying active has allowed her to do so well into her 90s!
If you're having trouble coming up with a reason to do something…
You could do worse than “train my old body.” This is the only body you get, and the only life you get, so today is as good a day as any to start treating your body with more respect.
It doesn't have to be dramatic either. We can start simply:
- We can go for a short walk every day.
- We can stand all day and do motor actions like squats and arm swings.
- We can Start strength training To build strong bones and avoid the need for assistance for as long as possible.
It is our responsibility to keep our bodies active, and corrosion is better than rust from lack of use.
As a messy creative who spends a lot of time in my head, Hayao Miyazaki has given me a lot to think about:
I hope when I'm in my 80s, I'll still be writing this newsletter and helping people, chopping wood, going on walks, and spending time with loved ones.
I know I can't control what happens and accidents and that a lot of life is out of my control, but I will do my best to give myself the best chance to continue to create and wear out instead of rust!
I'll leave you with the final quote from Miyazaki that concludes the documentary Hayao Miyazaki and Heron:
“Stop whining and get moving.”
Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to train on the old man's body!
-Steve
note: Original Japanese title of The boy and the heron He is How do you live?. This is a much more interesting (and appropriate) title for the film; It is truly a summation of his life's works, those that influenced him, and his deepest thoughts about the meaning of life.
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