Do We Need a New Definition of Fitness?
Ask ten personal trainers how to get fit and you’ll get ten different answers. More often than not, the focus is the final result—some “fitness unicorn”—which ends with you tearing yourself apart because you fell short. You condition yourself to associate self-worth with all the factors you’ve been warned to disregard as you embark on your wellness journey: your outward appearance, your run pace, your deadlift PR. Sound familiar? You’re not the only one chasing mythical creatures.
You condition yourself to associate self-worth with all the factors you’ve been warned to disregard as you embark on your wellness journey: your outward appearance, your run pace, your deadlift PR. Sound familiar? You’re not the only one chasing mythical creatures.
Every piece of fitness advice you could ever want is milliseconds away, yet obesity shows no signs of down trending. Instagram is flooded with fitness accounts that portray obsession as dedication. To achieve
To achieve the optimal balance between the mind and body, it’s imperative to understand that fitness should enhance your life, not replace it. Healthy shouldn’t be unhealthy.
Fitness coach and blogger, Nia Shanks, touches on these points in a recent blog that has Facebook and Twitter abuzz for its honest look at self-destructive behaviors and why it’s time to redefine the F word…fitness.
She suggests that while a strict diet and exercise plan is certainly beneficial for some, it can actually be counter-productive for others.
Not one to spout off a problem without offering a solution, Shanks suggests forming better habits before getting caught up in the comparison game.
- DO: Listen to your body.
- DO NOT: Place physical appearance before overall health.
- DO: Other things! Don’t spend hours in the gym. Go to the movies with your girlfriends and eat popcorn; you can have that spinach salad for dinner.
- DO NOT: Obsess. It will consume you.
- DO NOT: Work out to the point of complete exhaustion or pain. (Your muscles may be sore, yes, but that’s not what she’s getting at here.)
- DO: Celebrate healthy victories. Lifting your kids high in the air because you’ve endured three months of Arm Day is awesome. Stewing over that tummy flab that refuses to disappear despite three months of Ab Day is not.
Perhaps there’s no better summary of Shanks’ commentary than a quote that’s been making the social media rounds as of late. It simply states, “I work out because I love my body, not because I hate it.” And while she may open up
It simply states, “I work out because I love my body, not because I hate it.” And while she may open up important dialogue (if with no one else but yourself), her advice does little to address deeper concerns.
That is to say, if you find yourself engaging in self-destructive behaviors under the guise of “health,” you may need more than a few recycled reminders to set yourself straight. Meditation and therapy are effective tools.
Recognize real physical and mental dangers should they arise. If you can’t get a grip, take a break. Rest days aren’t just for your muscles.
Chek out her post at www.niashanks.com/redefine-fitness