A lot of projects are carried out everyday, ranging from neglectable teeth brushing in the morning to a large-scale business takeover. In order to achieve success, we plan our projects carefully step-be-step, and implement them cautiously and consistently. In other words, we want to make sure we are always in control.

When we exercise, we want to be in control too. Not only does it maximize the effect of a workout, but also it minimizes the probability of sport-related injuries.

The first homework I got from my climbing clinic was simple but made a great deal of sense. Our instructor asked us to pay attention to every movement happening around us: if some action makes a lot of noise, then our task is to repeat it again with the attempt to eliminate any sound that might result from it. For example, instead of dropping a magazine on the desk, we carefully put it down as if it were our most cherished treasure.

What are we expected to learn from this homework? My instructor drew a relationship between “making noise” with “out of control.” She wanted to train us to move to the next handhold or foothold in one step without hesitation. “When you climbed, I noticed that your foot pinned higher and you guys just let it drop on a foothold,” she explained, “Didn’t you notice that it made a lot of noise?”

Instead of putting our foot carefully on that foothold, we let gravity do the job. The price we paid was a second of “out of control,” and our body had to make extra efforts to keep us balanced. In the long run, our body will be exhausted way earlier than it should. And if the state of being out of control lengthens or appears more frequently, we might slip off where we stand, or we might bump into the wall. As a result, we expose ourselves to higher risk.

The same principle applies to running too. When you are running, you should not hear a lot of noise. Indeed, your feet are constantly pounding but that does not mean that your feet are drumming. Some people might argue that knee bending already provides media for shock absorption, but you can do a lot more to reduce the workload of your knees, simply by being quieter.

Pay close attention to your feet. Your job is not finished when you put out your stride. You need to feel that it’s you who put your feet on the ground instead of gravity pulling them close to the ground. Land lightly, make little noise, and your knees will feel much better.

While I am editing this article, my cat, Mao-mao paid me a visit. I wasn’t aware of it until she meowed at me. Cats have this ability to sneak in wherever they want to be because they are very quiet. So, be quiet, we can probably earn another eight lives.

Pictures: sniper’s work. Photos were taken in Taiwan.
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