The True Essence of Exercise
In a world where hustle culture glorifies productivity and tangible results, it's easy to forget the true essence of exercise.
Personal records and looking good are great goals but don’t forget about the more "holistic" or "long game" types of reasons too.
Eventually, you're going to reach a point where you can no longer add more muscle, put more weight on the bar, run faster, etc. That day might come because you don't have the same amount of time to dedicate to working out or it might come because of the natural aging process.
How will you respond when that day comes?
You have to identify some intrinsic benefits of exercise that are important in your life outside of physical appearance or performance. Let me lay out some reasons that I have for working out outside of my ambitious Olympic goals.
Clearing The Mind
Is your brain on overdrive all day as you navigate your busy work and personal schedule? Sometimes the best thing you can do to clear up some mental bandwidth is to reset with with physical movement. It doesn't have to be a difficult workout to get the job done either. Even something as simple as a 10-minute walk can help you clear some of the mental cobwebs you may be sifting through.
On days that I don’t workout recently, I have enjoyed going for a 10-20 minute walk on the west side highway or a nearby park after a big dinner. These walks help me think through problems or just clear my mental cache. I even do it if it’s raining!
Hitting the gym does more for my mental sanity than it does for my physical appearance and performance.
The Ultimate Form of Self Care
Most of my day is centered around service to my clients. Having the practice of doing something entirely for myself is necessary and a healthy way to balance that out.
By embracing exercise as a means of self-care rather than just a means to an end, you liberate yourself from the confines of perfectionism and comparison. You let go of the need to constantly measure your worth by external standards and instead prioritize your well-being and happiness.
In doing so, you empower yourself to redefine success on your own terms and embrace a more balanced, fulfilling approach to exercise and life.
Setting The Example For Your Kids
I don't have kids but if I did I would want to be active with them.
Your behaviors and beliefs have a profound impact on your kids lives. Research consistently shows that kids who grow up in a home with active parents tend to live healthier and more productive lives in adulthood.
I can personally say I agree with that research. I have my parents to thank for my love for the outdoors and adventurous activities. We always went on ski trips, hikes, played pick-up sports, and much more. My family was always very active.
The way exercise is viewed matters immensely though. If Mom and Dad only ever talk about how they need to exercise to work off some extra weight, the kids will see exercise the same way. If instead Mom and Dad talk about how exercise helps them feel their best and how they look forward to their "me time", the kids are likely to adopt that same mindset.
Lead by example and show the people closest to you that it is okay to take care of yourself and that exercise can benefit them outside of just looking better or being better at sports.
Looking Ahead To Golden Years
We all reach a point where our body declines due to aging. It's simply unlikely that you will be able to lift as much weight or carry as much muscle at age 70 as you did at age 30.
This thought tends to depress people. After all, if you can't get better, what's the point? Or where does it all go?
But just because you must go through the aging process of life doesn't mean you have to become frail. You might not hit a lifetime deadlift PR in your older age but you can still be an outlier among your peers!
Why not set the goal to be a 70-year-old who can play ball with their grandkids, do a 30-inch box jump, or hike the Grand Canyon?
Your golden years can either be some of your best or worst depending on how you choose to live your years now.
Final Thoughts
I'm all about pushing performance and seeing what my body is capable of but there are times when pushing my limits just isn't in the cards. I can't always rely on external physique or performance-related motivation for working out.
That’s when it's important to remind ourselves that the true essence of exercise lies not solely in physical transformation but in the profound impact it has on our overall well-being.
Embracing those intrinsic benefits allows you to have more fun with the process and ensures that you integrate exercise as a fundamental part of your life!
If you're ready to make exercise a fundamental part of your life, reach out to me and I'll follow up with a plan to help you!