Exercises, are they that good? / Ejercicios ¿Son tan buenos? (eng-esp)

Hello, friends of Green Zone.

Today I'm here with a topic that interests me greatly: exercise.
Since my youngest son, Diego, decided to start exercising, something has changed in our house. It's not just the sound of weights in the house, or the fact that my husband is his partner, but a new energy that permeates everything.
And I, as a mother, can't help but reflect on the profound benefits this decision he made for himself is bringing him.

The first and most tangible is the physical aspect. My son and his brother are extremely tall for their age, and that height, which sometimes seems like a blessing, comes with a tendency to slouch to camouflage their height. Especially since they're still growing and quite thin.
Now, by specifically strengthening the muscles in his back and arms, I see him literally standing up straight.
His posture has improved noticeably in this first week.

He hardly ever withdraws into himself anymore. It's as if exercise is providing the internal scaffolding his body needed to stand proudly, not in discomfort. That back pain he sometimes complained about after hours of studying will soon be just a memory.

But beyond the visible, there's the benefit that nourishes his inner self: his self-esteem. I see him looking in the mirror, not with criticism, but with curiosity to see his progress.

There's a new sparkle in his eyes, a confidence that comes from discipline and achieving small goals. Every pound he lifts is a personal achievement, tangible proof of his effort that translates into a confidence that permeates everything else: his way of speaking, his way of walking, his way of relating.

He no longer sees himself as the tall, skinny guy; now he's the guy who's strong.

And finally, and perhaps most crucial, is breaking away from a sedentary lifestyle. His world, like that of all teenagers, revolved dangerously around a screen. And if it's not his cell phone, it's the television or he's studying guitar, which also involves sitting down.

Now, his routine has an unwavering pillar of movement. That hour of exercise is an antidote to passivity, a ritual that teaches him that his body isn't just for transporting his mind from one place to another, but a source of energy and well-being.

It's a weight off my shoulders to know he's investing in his long-term health, building habits that I'm sure will last a lifetime. Seeing him like this, sweating and persevering, fills me with quiet pride and enormous peace.

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Versión en español

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Hola, amigos de Green Zone.

Hoy me les acerco con un tema que me interesa mucho: los ejercicios.
Desde que mi hijo menor, Diego, decidió comenzar a hacer ejercicio, algo ha cambiado en nuestra casa. No es solo el ruido de las pesas en la casa, ni que mi esposo sea su partner, sino una nueva energía que lo recorre todo.
Y yo, como madre, no puedo evitar reflexionar sobre los profundos beneficios que le está reportando esta decisión que tomó por sí mismo.

El primero y más tangible es el físico. Mi hijo y su hermano son extremadamente altos para su edad, y esa estatura, que a veces parece una bendición, conlleva una tendencia a encorvarse para camuflar su altura. Más ellos que están en pleno crecimiento y son bastante delgados.
Ahora, al fortalecer específicamente los músculos de su espalda y brazos, lo veo literalmente erguirse.
Su postura ha mejorado notablemente en esta primera semana.

Ya casi no se repliega sobre sí mismo. Es como si el ejercicio le estuviera proporcionando el andamio interno que su cuerpo necesitaba para sostenerse con orgullo, no con incomodidad. Ese dolor de espalda del que a veces se quejaba después de estar horas estudiando, pronto va a ser solo un recuerdo.

Pero más allá de lo visible, está el beneficio que alimenta su interior: su autoestima. Veo cómo se mira al espejo no con crítica, sino con curiosidad por ver los progresos.

Hay un brillo nuevo en sus ojos, una seguridad que nace de la disciplina y de alcanzar pequeñas metas que se propone. Cada libra que levanta es un logro personal, una prueba tangible de su esfuerzo que se traduce en una confianza que impregna todo lo demás: su manera de hablar, de caminar, de relacionarse.
Ya no se ve como el chico alto y flaco, ahora es el chico que está fuerte.

Y por último, y quizás el más crucial, es la ruptura con el sedentarismo. Su mundo, como el de todos los adolescentes, gravitaba peligrosamente alrededor de una pantalla. Y si no es el celular, es el televisor o está estudiando guitarra, que también es sentado.

Ahora, su rutina tiene un pilar inquebrantable de movimiento. Esa hora de ejercicio es un antídoto contra la pasividad, un ritual que le enseña que su cuerpo no es solo para transportar su cabeza de un sitio a otro, sino una fuente de energía y bienestar.

Me quita un peso de encima saber que está invirtiendo en su salud a largo plazo, construyendo hábitos que, estoy segura, lo acompañarán toda la vida. Verlo así, sudando y perseverando, me llena de un orgullo silencioso y una enorme paz.