Unlike a product, a magician is integral to the service we provide. That is why over the years, my magic fitness has been really important. I’ve exercised and played sports to keep in shape. Going to the gym was one of the first activities I incorporated for my physical fitness. I would use the stationary bicycle and weight machines. In the summer time I like to get out on my bike. It makes for a great way to explore my community and some of the nature trails too.
Organized Sports for a Magician
You may think that magicians play Quidditch all the time. Over the years, I’ve played several organized sports through a company in my home town. Their tag-line is “Recess for Adults”. The first one I tried was Dodgeball. It was a fast-paced game that was lots of fun until I sustained a mild shoulder injury. That required time to heal and I realized that was the end of my Dodgeball career.
Next up was Ultimate frisbee. It provided a great aerobic workout, as there is lots of running up and down the field. Also learning how to properly throw a frisbee also took some time. Hand eye coordination in frisbee was also a skill set that is really important in magic, so there certainly were some additional benefits.
As I got older, I wasn’t able to run as quickly as other younger players in Ultimate frisbee and so my next sport was Volleyball. This game I played for about 10 years. My team evolved over the years with some players dropping out and new players joining. This game was perfect as speed wasn’t as much of an issue compared to Ultimate. I made some good friends on the team and we’d go out from time to time at a bar to socialize. During the pandemic, the teams stopped playing. That was disappointing.
Walking for Magic Fitness
Like many others, during the pandemic, I went for walks everyday. It gave me a great reason to get out of the house. I’d put on my headphones and a great playlist and explore different neighbourhoods. As a graduate of Industrial Design, I was always observing homes on streets and how they’ve modified their places over the years. It was also lovely to see the progression of the gardens from Spring through Fall.
Other Magic Fitness Activities
Many years ago, I signed up for Tai Chi. It is a slow motion form of exercise. If you live in a city with a Chinatown, you can sometimes see people doing Tai Chi in those city parks. I was attracted to the smooth flowing style of the movements. The benefits were muscle strengthening and also flexibility. As you had to remember the sequence of moves, it was also beneficial for calming the mind.
Another sport I did for about 10 years was Fencing. I was in the first class that my coach, Richard Smith, started. It was called the Kanata Fencing club. Fencing was fantastic for getting an amazing workout without realizing because during the bouts, you would never concentrate on the exercise. Fencing is like a chess match, as you try to understand your opponent’s style of fighting and how to discover weaknesses in their defenses. I went to a few tournaments including a few for fencers over 40. By the end of the tournament, I was always really tired because there would be several matches during the day. My coach was great and always expected the best from his students.
Dance Classes
I just finished the Winter session of my dance classes provided by the city. Sometimes, I’ll integrate some of the dance moves and steps into my magic shows. Dance is another way to keep active, but also to reinforce the connection between having my brain teach my body to move in new ways. That is not unlike magic, where sleight-of-hand takes time to learn to do properly.
New Moves
I’m always learning, adapting and adjusting with my physical fitness. It’s fun to incorporate what I’ve learned from the different disciplines into my magic. I love what I do and realize that in order to keep performing, it is important to make sure my body is in good shape. So far, so good.