Fitness is such an interesting topic. People view it in so many different ways. Google will have you believe that it is “the condition of being physically fit and healthy,” but what if you are not physically fit yet? Also, I thought you weren’t supposed to use the word you are defining in the definition. Maybe that is what I get for using Google. Back to the interesting part of fitness: it is fascinating because I believe it is something different for each individual. Someone’s job could be their source of fitness, a hobby can provide great fitness benefits, and the traditional mindset of fitness involves going to the gym and working out to improve physical health. It is also interesting how so many people will judge you based on your fitness level.
If you do not work out regularly, everyone is quick to tell you what to do and why their style is the best. Social media “experts” are eager to tell you how easy it is to follow their fitness regimen as long as you subscribe to their channel or use their product. While what they are saying or selling may have some truth to it, they do not let you in on the whole story. The biggest key to fitness is simple: consistency. If you are not consistent, then your once-a-week workout will not show results. (Skipping breakfast and calling it “intermittent fasting” will not work either, but that is a topic for another blog.) If you try a social media ad and do not stick with it, you have wasted your money. However, if you try it and do it consistently without seeing results, you have still wasted your money. Sometimes we need to take a step back from what everyone else is telling us to do and try a wide range of options. Try that spin class at your local gym, go to a CrossFit class with a friend who can’t stop talking about it, pay for a gym membership that you can easily cancel, or simply go out for an evening walk with friends or family. Find what feels right for you as an individual. No matter what people say, if you do not enjoy the process, you will not be consistent enough to see results. If you found the spin class to be too intense but really enjoyed the group setting, you might discover that you enjoy a martial arts class, for example. Fitness is everywhere; you just have to find it.
Finding your fitness is important. The truth about its importance can be harsh. If you are not consistent in your fitness routine, you will gain weight. I do not care about whether you gain or lose weight, but the world will often judge gaining weight as wrong. What I care about is gaining weight to a point where it affects your health. (Returning to that Google definition of fitness.) Finding your fitness will increase your ability to be healthy, make you feel better on a day-to-day basis, decrease future medical bills, and hopefully open the door for a longer life. Does it work through osmosis? No, you have to be consistent in whatever fitness route you choose, but the results of being healthier greatly outweigh the temporary discomfort of exercising. I will say this again: I am not trying to hurt any feelings, but fitness is like water to me. You need both to survive, but they do not all look the same. Some people get their water intake through the foods they eat, some flavor their water to make it taste better, and some drink it through a filtered straw. None of these methods are wrong as long as they are getting their water intake. Your choice of fitness is not wrong as long as you are doing it consistently.
I apologize if you’ve made it this far in the blog. I am not a writer, but I am passionate about helping people with their health and wellness. Trying to help people understand that fitness is vital and does not have to be in a traditional setting is one way I work toward that passion. I will leave you with this note: I run a CrossFit gym in the Huntsville, AL area. I work with people at different stages in their fitness journey—some just starting and eager to try everything, and others who have been on the path for a while and are exploring new routes. I have seen people join my gym and love every part of it, while others come in, give their best effort, but find that CrossFit was not for them. If it is not for them, I always encourage them to find something that is. Find your thing. Find your fitness.
