Bring back the daily constitutional
After discovering the concept of the daily constitutional recently while reading Sherlock Holmes, I think it's a phrase (and practice) that deserves a comeback.
Introduction
I've been working my way through Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short stories. It's a great way to boost my end-of-year Goodreads stats (I'm counting each short story as a “book”—this is Goodhart's Law in action), and I've always enjoyed the TV adaptations. Recently, in addition to the books, I've been listening to the Sherlock & Co. podcast, which I highly recommend.
The first Holmes story was published in 1887, and it turns out that language has evolved over the last 137 years (and maybe not always for the better). The standout example for me was the use of the word “ejaculate,” which is used 23 times throughout the books. Today it refers to a very specific type of “outburst,” but back then it referred to any form of outburst, and in Doyle's books, it specifically refers to verbal outbursts (which is a good thing, otherwise I'd expect the whole series of books to be banned in American schools). Honestly, I'd love to try and bring back this use of the word, maybe by using it in the office? (alas, I have a mortgage to pay, so I think I'll give this a miss).
Although I managed to determine the meaning of “ejaculate” from the context, the word “constitutional” (example below) was something I had to look up (one thing I love about eReaders is how easy they make it to look up the meaning and etymology of a word).
It just happened, however, that this hour coincided with Blessington's constitutional, which seems to show that they were not very well acquainted with his daily routine.
— Dr Watson in The Resident Patient
The daily constitutional
Here's the definition of constitutional from the Oxford dictionary:
noun: constitutional; a walk taken regularly to maintain or restore good health. e.g. “she went out for a constitutional.”
The dictionary describes the above usage as dated, which leaves the modern-day usage as the two adjectives below:
- relating to an established set of principles governing a state.
- relating to someone's nature or physical condition.
It's the second adjective above that relates to its use as a noun. i.e., taking a daily constitutional is good for one's constitution, aka health.
This is a phrase (and practice) that I think deserves to make a comeback.
Wouldn't joining a gym be better?
As I write this post it's December, typically a month of overindulgence (alcohol, mince pies, rom-coms, etc.). The good news is that in December we can all eat and drink as much as we like, because in January we're all going to “work it off” by going to the gym or taking up running. The problem with going to the gym or going for a run is that those things are really hard, and also (at least for beginners), they're not fun.
I suspect that the vast majority of people who take up running or join a gym in January have quit before February kicks in. And then it's back to sitting at a desk all day, ready for the cycle to begin again the following December.
But there is another option, a boring but much easier, cheaper, and more enjoyable option, and that's to just go for a walk each day i.e., to take a “daily constitutional.”
You're not going to get a six-pack by taking a one-hour walk each day (you're not going to get one by paying a gym membership either), but you will get to take a break from work/sitting, get some fresh air, explore your local surroundings, burn some calories (~300kcal), and maybe learn something from listening to a podcast.
How's my campaign going?
Not well to be honest.
