Crossing a road, do you run or do you walk?

Take a look at people crossing a road, infact notice yourself when you cross a road. We instinctively RUN. Why do we do that?

We can walk...the oncoming car MIGHT slow down or stop. We seem to have no trust in the driver that he would be able to stop his vehicle in time, which is ABSOLUTELY acceptable. Why would you put your life in a strangers hand? You wouldn't and you should not for that matter.

Lets break down what's happening here:

1. You decide to cross the road, you see a car coming at a certain speed and you estimate that it might hit you.

2. Your fight or flight response kicks in and within miliseconds you decided that running was the more successful option, because if you chose to fight you wont win the "fight" or collision for very obvious reasons.

3. You deciding to run was actually an instinct to avoid death. Much like how a rabbit runs from a Lion or an Antelope runs from a Leopard.

So I can translate that breakdown to the following: You are actually running for your life.


Think about it, just like how a rabbit or antelope would run from a predator you run from an oncoming traffic that might kill or injure you severely.

So basically this entire thing is a "fight or flight response". We chose flight as our brain calculates it to have a more successful outcome. 

Put the similar logic into a different scenario, in our lives today exercising is encouraged. How many of us feel the urge or the instinct to run/jog ? We do not. We do it as part of a routine workout schedule. Why is it that we dont feel this urge as we did when we cross a road? Isnt jogging also a type of "running for your life"?

The danger is not imminent, thats why...we perceive ourselves as being safe and not in any threat, thus the "fight or flight response" doesn't kick in. Should it? Its beneficial, so yea probably it should.

How would you kick your body into activating this response for a danger that is not imminent? For having the motivation to exercise atleast? The danger is real, poor health leads to a difficult death. But it doesnt seem real to many.

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