I frequently ask people to describe their struggle with fitness & their fitness goals and I get all sorts of replies – from losing weight to looking young to staying awake during meetings, to being able to run marathons & so on!
While all these are great goals to have but do they guarantee fitness?
The issue is we fail to understand what fitness really means… because there are so many concepts floating around that we pick what seems best and most feasible to us.
Fitness, for me, is much more than a definition or a concept!
It is not limited to set of exercises each day for 5 days a week or a diet plan which helps you lose 20 pounds a week.
It is a way of life – it is about taking charge of your mind and body – over any and all external factors – including your loved ones, professional obligations, and environmental nuances.
Fitness is respecting your physical and mental being, being competent for anything and everything that might come your way, evolving as strong, confident, happy and at peace. As broad as a religion… undoubtedly yes!
Religion lays principles on which we should base our lives – both physiological and spiritual constructs and so does (should) fitness.
The only point where I still struggle is – when it comes to defining an end goal for fitness.
Religion lays principles for way of life to get closer to god. What is the end game for fitness… where do we stop – we do not know!
You could develop yourself as an on toes light and agile dancer or a heavy weight 300 pound weightlifter or CEO of a start-up who can afford to take 15 minutes out every day to spend quality time with his/her children and be very content with your life, be at peace and proud of your accomplishments.
But how do we know if that is enough? If that is ok? If we are doing just fine?
Struggle with Fitness is something beyond sense of achievement!
A lot of people tell me they don’t want to cut down on sugar or oily food – they don’t want that pain in the life. It is like not wanting to give up on smoking and drinking or unsafe sex while knowing how bad it is for your organs.
A lot of people have their concerns around various modes of exercising – is cardio better or weightlifting or high intensity interval – even to the extent that running up to certain kms is ok but beyond that is harmful.
How do we gauge what is correct? What to follow and what not to?
This means that the ways and means to fitness are unknown – as unknown as the end goals. And that is primarily why all of us are lost in plethora of perceptions floating around.
How do we solve for it?
Well, if we circle back to what we believe fitness is, it is about us – our body, our mind.
So we should be free to do what we want to do – what makes us happy and keeps us at peace.
So this means, it also gives us freedom to choose the end goals and the journey to those goals. And that is precisely what we do.
We make specific end goals which we believe would make us happy and give us sense of achievement.
Nothing wrong with that – and as it should, it varies from person to person. So do the food choices, exercise choices the individuals make to proceed to their goals.
Where the people go wrong is –
- when they limit themselves to just their goals and do not see fitness beyond that
- when they give in to external world and stop hearing what their body is telling them
- when they frame their plans copying advice which is not customized for them
- when they do not realize how better life could be if they are fitter, healthier and stronger
GROUND RULE TO STRUGGLE WITH FITNESS
So here is one ground rule, rule which I guess every religion should follow, rule which is not right or wrong but fundamental to nature – to evolution – to life.. rule which means fitness – respect your body and mind.. take charge – no one else can / should do it for you.
To respect, you have to understand your body – if shredding some weight would make you happy understand how your body is tuned to shed weight (not a general body) – understand which food groups suit you more, which exercises, test and see the results and accordingly make your own plans.
Of course you should take help of experts but take wise and not convenient decisions.
Make goals, and then make plans to get to the goals.
Making plans will be an iterative process – no fitness regime is designed for particularly your body.
Define your own lifestyle which takes you closer to your goals – test out all possible options and choose what challenges you the best – depending on how fast / slow you want to get to your goal.
BE TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE STRUGGLING WITH FITNESS
It is about eternal happiness and not just momentary comfort.
Humans are designed by evolution for evolution – that is nature – you strive for betterment, for perfection.
Don’t let that desire subside – don’t get worried or sad if you feel others are better than you or you are already comfortable in your own shell.
Let that desire surface and work towards it. It is your path, your goals, your life.. It is as simple as that… take charge!