Five Reasons Why I Take Fitness Seriously (That Have Nothing To Do With My Weight Or Appearance)
Have you ever wondered what a trainer’s “why” was for wanting to be active in the gym? This can be a common question if you aren't like me where the gym has become a bit of a sanctuary.
For example if you are someone who has a hectic life full of commitments, meetings and time constraints, you might not be as emotionally attached to being active as I am. It's not that I am always motivated to workout, it's that I know what happens when I stop.
It might never be a priority to you, I understand. I totally get it. I’m not here to change you, I'm here to share my story.
I used to make a tonne of excuses myself. It used to not be a priority to me the way it is today.
To be honest, having a fitness routine can get expensive, it's an investment no matter whether you buy some Asics and go for a run or whether you hire a trainer 4 times a week.
Whether it’s having the equipment, or the gym membership or the guidance from a trainer or coach.
I remember the cost was always my biggest excuse. About 5 or 6 years ago I was sitting in a bar on a Wednesday night just before close with a bunch of my buddies. Two of the guys would tell me I should start doing CrossFit, and I told them I had no money and that I wasn’t cut out for that kind of commitment. I was active. I was fine where I was at. I just needed to make more money and I'd be fine.
There are a lot of things that can come up and make someone wonder, “Why would I go to all of this trouble?”
Like I went from not only participating in fitness, to doing a full 360, resigning from a 5 year career, risking my finances and going into the industry full time.
So let’s dig a bit deeper.
An active lifestyle can be viewed like having healthy finances. If you are good with money, you are not only good at making money, you are even better at managing how you spend it.
Wealthy people are careful about managing the money they have. They still budget, and they still plan, and they aren't just going to dedicate money towards things that don't help their investment.
What does that mean? Being aware of where your resources escape or what they are dedicated to is a critical piece to the puzzle.
For people who start to track how much they spend shopping or getting fancy coffees, or digital subscriptions for streaming services you start to realize that sometimes we spend and forget and wonder where the money went.
I remember when I first cancelled my streaming video accounts and my cable. I saved over $1200 per year and now I just watch YouTube or rent a digital download when I need to.
With leading an active lifestyle, sometimes the reason we had no time for the gym or to focus on our health was to make money or provide for ourselves. We're scrambling to fill a container with coins while the coins actively fall out of the container.
What does that mean when we are wealthy or have material goods but our inactivity caught up to us?
Let’s flashback to my life experience from sitting in the bar with a bunch of buddies.
Firstly, I was making excuses that I couldn’t afford protein powder and a couple group fitness classes. Yet I was spending my time at a bar on a weeknight sipping $10 rum and cokes eating $20 nachos wondering what happened to all my time and money and wishing I knew how to make more of it.
It is a reality that our involvement in bettering ourselves doesn’t put the brakes on our financial growth.
If you invest in your health, your business will do better. If you invest in the health of your team they will be happier and have less sick days. The truth is, when you are active, you feel better. Your body moves better, you sleep better, you are able to handle the obstacles that life throws your way because your body is ready and well taken care of.
When you are more active, you are more motivated to eat nutrient dense food that supports your activity.
It is not a fun time to have a work out the day after a late night at the bar.
It’s the activity that refines your finances. How much money you have in your bank account will not help your need to numb your stress or frustration in life with purchases or substances.
I can't stress enough how intertwined resilience and your wellness are. It's really hard to have a comeback story if you're out of breath at the top of 3 flights of stairs. I've been there. It's really hard to have a comeback story when you feel like you need to be 2 beers deep at a keg party in order to meet someone that likes you for who you are.
It’s the outcome of physical activity and eating well that makes you feel more confident talking to people you want to talk to without needing to crush a beer first.
So here are the reasons that I take fitness seriously that have nothing to do with my weight or appearance.
1. By investing in my fitness, it helps my mind to stay clear and reduces my spending on things like going out for drinks or buying things I don’t need.
2. When I am regularly active, and spend a lot of money on a holiday, I am able to do everything that I want to do on the holiday because I have more energy and confidence going on hikes or going out in the ocean.
3. During stressful times, the ability to clear my head with a conditioning workout is priceless to me. Sometimes stress or anxiety can stop me from doing anything at all, and my fitness helps me to bounce back.
4. I want to grow old, maybe be a dad, coach their sports team or at the very least be able to run faster than my young nieces when I’m 40 and they’re in their 20’s. In order to do this, I have to keep active regularly. All of this means so much to me that I’m willing to do what it takes to maintain it .
5. I want to lead by example. Anyone in my life that I love will not take anything that I say about exercise seriously, if I don’t take it seriously by prioritizing it in my own life. Being active and taking care of yourself mentally and physically is so important.
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Thanks for reading!