How Fitness Changes Lives
Sarah Breyer
M.S., CSCS, CF-LV1, NCI L-1
More often than not, people talk about fitness in regards to the physical changes that take place after an individual has worked through a training plan. Occasionally, we hear about mental wellbeing improving on account of a new exercise routine. The fact of the matter is that fitness can have a radically transformative effect on not only a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, but it can truly change their behaviors and ultimately their life.
Whether you’re a competitive CrossFit athlete or a Mom with a goal of staying healthy and taking care of your kids, you know that choosing to participate in physical activity can positively impact your life. What I’m talking about, however, is deeper than simply eating more veggies, or going to bed earlier on occasion. When a person makes the decision to daily engage in exercise, to embrace momentary discomfort, to learn what it is to be a “newbie” and accept the learning curve that comes with working towards a new skill - they’re choosing courage over comfort and their entire perspective on life is radically transformed.
Let me break this down - you’re a group fitness athlete and you walk into class and see the workout Fran written on the board (for those who are new to this space, “Fran” is a workout consisting of 21-15-9 repetitions each of thrusters and pull ups - it’s a spicy combination of movements to say the least). Now, if you’re a seasoned athlete, you know the stimulus, or intent, of the workout, and you begin to mentally prepare yourself for what’s to come. The workout begins, and you start on those repetitions, knowing that your heart rate will increase, your lungs will beg you to slow down, and your muscles will burn like hot lava. When all of this happens, however, you stick to your pacing goals, and get the work done. You finish the last rep and crouch down on the ground to catch your breath, you begin to feel proud of yourself for just staying in the moment and pushing through. We do this day after day, and then we take a shower, go out into the world, and handle whatever is thrown our way.
Life is FULL of unexpected situations that can make us feel as if we are fighting to breathe and stay present. Witnessing a car accident and knowing you have the strength and ability to get those involved to safety, or sitting down with a close friend to have a tough conversation - while vastly different in nature, both require a calm mind, and offer the choice to push through that moment, staying present and willing to do whatever is needed to complete task in front of you.
You see, a lifestyle centered around fitness requires us to embrace the mundane and delay gratification in order to make lasting progress. Eating to fuel our bodies well daily, aiming for consistent and adequate sleep nightly, and making exercise a priority instills in us the unwavering persistence to stay consistent. Consistency bleeds into other areas of our lives, such as checking in regularly on loved ones, showing our kids what it means to keep a routine even when life feels hectic, and having time to slow down because we didn’t procrastinate when it came to completing menial tasks. When we say fitness is a lifestyle, we mean that it completely transforms our approach to life. The goal is to become more resilient, optimistic, to be willing to work hard and not shy away from challenges and difficulty, and ultimately, to find the limits of our potential.
If you’ve never experienced this degree of transformation and you’ve been searching for a way to raise the standard of your life - reach out to us! We’re on a mission to change lives, and to see that transformation result in people helping others live better together.
