Last December, I sheepishly admitted that there was a big hole in my nerdy cred.
I grew up drawing cartoons, took AP art in high school and have always been fascinated by hand drawn animation…
But I did I’ve never seen a single second of a Studio Ghibli cartoon!
Studio Ghibli is Japan’s equivalent of Disney, with Hayao Miyazaki as Japan’s Walt: the studio has won multiple Academy Awards for its beautifully hand-drawn animated films, and Miyazaki has achieved legendary status making these films over the past 40+ years.
Luckily, the amazing community on Threads gave me hundreds of supportive comments and helped me decide which movie I should start with!
Since I announced it, I’ve been watching all 20+ Studio Ghibli films, fell in love with Japanand 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 movie, I moved on to watching documentaries about Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli because I needed to know more.
Thanks to these documentaries, I got a fascinating insight into Miyazaki’s creative style and experiences in making these films together with his collaborators.
It’s a common joke that Miyazaki is a “man without end” and can’t retire.
There was something that stood out to me in each documentary:
IN Kingdom of dreams and madness, at one point, all of the Studio Ghibli employees stood up and went through a series of mobility and exercise exercises, including Miyazaki.
Later I watched at the dock Miyazaki demonstrates a very deep squat in perfect shape and without help. How many people do you know in their mid to late 70’s who can do a deep squat unassisted!?
IN The Man Without End: Hayao Miyazaki, It’s Miyazaki filmed multiple times chopping wood with an ax in the yard of his studio.
And inside Hayao Miyazaki and the HeronMiya-san (his nickname), now in his 80s, is still outside chopping wood, going for walks in the forest, climbing over fallen trees, doing office exercises and working diligently on the film that will culminate in his life’s work.
(Yeah, 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’m reminded that he’s not the perfect picture of health!).
I mention this because I think it shows a different side of exercise than we might normally think of.
Train for your old body
Watching this documentary of Hayao Miyazaki staying active and keeping his brain sharp in his 80s…
I remembered this amazing post from Elizabeth (@ThisGirlLifts on Instagram):
As we age, it becomes easier for us to move less, which gives us less energy and makes it harder to find the momentum and mobility to keep moving. This can prevent us from spending time with family or friends because we can’t muster the energy.
Teddy Roosevelt once said “rather risk wearing out than rusting”.
In other words: use it or lose it, bug.
It’s not hard for me to imagine Miyazaki’s ability to be a “man without end” not only due to good genetics (and luck), but also because he actively chose to wear out rather than rust.
Reflecting on why he decided to push himself to complete one more animated film in his 8th decade on this planet, he simply replied that it was all he knew how to do, “I’d rather die doing this than die doing nothing.”
Fitness is more than losing weight
At Nerd Fitness, we encourage all Rebels to think about their “Big Why”:
Why bother exercising and forming new habits and trying to improve your life when the couch is calling?
What’s the point of straining and learning to deal with discomfort when retreating into comfort is easier and so damn attractive?
A really strong “Big Why” can help us stay on target, especially when life turns into a dumpster fire or when we feel like giving up.
As for Miyazaki, he decided that “bringing out what’s in me” was a worthwhile use of his time. He found peace and fulfillment by creating things, not consuming them, which means he has to take care of his body enough to survive long enough to do those things!
For my grandmother (who I was in the hospital last month), her purpose is to support her community and help those around her. Staying active allowed her to do so well into her 90s!
If you struggle to find a reason to do something…
You can do worse than “Training for 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 a little more respect.
It doesn’t have to be dramatic either. We can start simply:
- We can go for a short daily walk.
- We can stand during the day and do movements like squats and arm swings.
- we can start strength training build strong bones and avoid the need for assistance as long as possible.
It’s up to us to keep our bodies active, and wear and tear is better than rust from disuse.
As a chaotic creator who spends a lot of time in his own head, Hayao Miyazaki gave me a lot to think about:
I hope that in my 80s I will still be writing this newsletter and helping people, chopping wood and going for walks and spending time with loved ones.
I know I can’t control what happens and accidents happen and a lot of life is out of my control but I’ll do my best to give myself the best chance to keep creating and wasting instead of getting rusty!
I’ll leave you with one last mischievous Miyazaki quote that ends the documentary Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron:
“Stop whining and get moving.”
Now excuse me, time to train for my old body!
-Steve
P.S: Original Japanese title for The boy and the heron is how do you live. This is a far more interesting (and appropriate) title for the film; it is truly a summary of his life’s work, those who influenced him, and his deepest thoughts about the meaning of life.
PS: Need guidance and accountability to reach your fitness goals? Nerd Fitness has helped over 10,000 people over the past 8 years with 1-on-1 online fitness coaching. Click here for more details.
