Last updated on March 1, 2016
By: Blake Bouza, Assistant Editor
(Many authors are publishing their work on e-readers like the Kindle. Picture taken by Blake Bouza.)
We’ve all been there. The daily struggle with the guilt of eating right and exercising. And you do really well – push-ups in the morning, protein shake for breakfast, and a cold glass of cucumber water to wash it all down.
Then someone brings leftover cheese danishes to class from their job at the local Starbucks. And you can’t just, you know, refuse, because you’re healthy but you’re not an animal.
So you devour that danish from hell and you think, oh, I’ll burn it off later. I’ll eat raw kale for dinner with some mulch on the side.
Or I just won’t eat for the next week. Who needs food? The calories in that danish are enough to last a hibernating bear all winter.
If this all sounds weirdly specific – it’s because I’ve been there. I’m still there. And science teaches us that for all calories consumed, to maintain weight or to lose it the calories burned in each day must be equal to or greater than to that which is consumed.
So you go to the gym. You pay for the membership so you might as well go, right? Well, goodness, look at all of these attractive, fit people here. Why are they still here? Didn’t they win? Aren’t they done? Here I am, a hulking Quasimodo waddling my way between the workout equipment.
Why are the weights in the middle of the room where everyone can see just how much of a weakling you are?
Why are those people grunting and screaming?
Is that an escalator?
The gym is a scary place, okay? But it’s there for your supposed benefit, like Congress or the NSA. And no one loves going to the gym – yes, yes, save for the modern day Greek gods walking among us. But we need to be healthy and we need to take care of ourselves, so we might as well make the system work for us.
Allow me to propose reading as a viable option to take your mind off the willful torture you’re imposing on yourself. No, not paperbacks or hardcovers.
You don’t want to look like more of an idiot than you already feel like by playing a precarious game of turn-the-page while trying to maintain pace and balance on the elliptical.
Here’s where the e-reader comes in.
Kindles, Nooks, Kobos (we’re all-inclusive here at The Settler, no e-reader bias). These often tiny, six-inch screens fit perfectly in the little nook built for phones and other devices on various cardio equipment.
Rather than having to awkwardly manage turning a page around the little lip that keeps your book against the equipment and effectively taking you out of the story, one quick swipe takes you to the next page. You remain effectively entertained and immersed and you may even prolong your workout because of it. And instead of losing your place with every jerky motion, you can adjust the text size to be large enough that you can keep your eyes focused on your place.
Some good work-out novels to read:
“Red Rising” and its sequel, “Golden Son,” by Pierce Brown. This series is a pure thrill ride – trust me, you’ll WANT to be running right alongside Darrow on Mars as he fights against the Society.
“Mistborn” by Brandon Sanderson. This book will have you so immersed in its world and magic system you’ll forget the punishment you’re giving your body.
“Ice Cold” by Tess Gerritsen. This novel is apart of the excellent Rizzoli & Isles series – but no previous knowledge of the books or characters is required to enjoy this chilly thriller that’ll make you grateful for the sweat pouring down your face.
Thanks for reading and happy sweating!
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