There is a stigma to working out. There are a number of people who see exercise as something only jocks do, and they think all jocks are dumb tools. I think it goes back to high school cliques. If you think critically for a moment, the idea is ridiculous. I’m not saying there aren’t some athletes that are also jerks, but you can’t lump someone into that category because of a hobby.
There are some people who think caring at all about your physical condition will make you lose your “nerd” cred. This is equally ridiculous. It’s not shallow to care about your health. People say they don’t want to “get swole” and look like a meathead. Well if that’s the case, worry not. Bodybuilders put in time at the gym like it’s a full time job and carefully scrutinize every single thing they eat. In order to look like that, you have to really want to look like that. It doesn’t just happen. I would even go so far to say bodybuilders are nerds themselves, in the sense they have a nerd level obsession with their muscles.
Exercising does not make you shallow. It’s not just about looking better. There are so many benefits other than the aesthetic ones. It reduces stress and anxiety, helps you sleep better, gives you more energy during the day, reinforces other good habits, improves mental health, reduces your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and improves your overall immune system.
In his Netflix special End Times Fun, Marc Maron has a bit about how making fun of nerds is punching up now. It’s true that a lot of things once considered “nerdy,” including video games, have taken over the popular culture. In other words, being a nerd kind of makes you “cool” in a way. There is no reason you can’t be a nerd and still be in shape though.
Fitness video games are the perfect way to use your nerdiness to accomplish a goal. By trying to beat the game, you just so happen to get fit as well. It’s the perfect example of using present motivation to obtain a future goal.