“I was a really fat adolescent. I weighed well over 200 lbs. I...

“I was a really fat adolescent.  I weighed well over 200 lbs.  I was always depressed.  I was in this ‘punk rock,’ ‘fuck the jock,’ kind of ethos.  I looked down on sports culture.  But we had a compulsory weight training course during my freshman year of high school.  At first I hated it.  Absolutely hated it.  But the teacher was this terrifying, hulking man.  So I followed his instructions.  He gave me a sheet of exercises, and I checked off all the boxes.  And afterwards I felt amazing.  I don’t think PE teachers get enough credit.  He changed my life.  He forced me to discover the high you get from physical activity.  And exercise has been my medicine ever since.  Right now I’m working as a bike messenger.  I ride about twenty miles a day.  It’s not even financially necessary because I own my own company.  But it takes the energy out of my weird thoughts.  It keeps me from honing in on the negative aspects of my life.  Things are good right now.  I’m very lucky.  And that becomes clear to me when I’m physically engaged.  So I always keep moving.  I’m literally cycling away from my depression, and it works.“