Fit for Life
Fitness as a Lifestyle
Every now and then, we see more and more people go jogging, joining yoga classes, joining crossfit classes, counting their calories, and so on. For these people, their reason for this is to be fit but what exactly is fitness? Many people see fitness as doing physical activity only. Although it is part of fitness, it's not the whole picture. Fitness is a lifestyle. What do I mean when I say "fitness is a lifestyle"? It means that there's something much more to it than simply breaking a sweat. Fitness is a combination of hard work, dedication, mental determination, and overcoming challenges if you want to live healthily. It's a way of life that doesn't start in the gym. It starts the moment you wake up and it never ends. I see fitness as a lifestyle because it makes you want to do better, to push you outside your comfort zone. I've categorized this lifestyle into three categories for you to see how much the impact is if you choose to pursue the fit lifestyle. These categories are physical, mental, and personal.PHYSICAL
This is the first thing that comes to mind when fitness is mentioned and it's true. When you first meet someone, the first thing you see is the physical appearance. You can easily tell if someone works out with how their body looks like. The physical aspect of the fit lifestyle is also one of toughest commitment. You do physical activities that tire your body and push it even more. You tear up those muscle fibers to make it bigger and stronger. Whether it's bench pressing or preparing for a marathon, the same physical effort is exerted. This is why fitness requires a whole lot of effort. You can't just do a couple of push ups and say you're done for the day. No, it requires more that will push you out of your comfort zone.
Our physical appearance is heavily influenced with what we put inside our body. Whatever we eat, drink, or inhale, all of these leave a mark to our physical appearance. If you really want to live the fitness lifestyle, then dieting is something you have to get used to. Working out only makes up 30% of our overall appearance, 70% of it is in the diet. If you really want to get in shape then you have to eat properly. Say goodbye to those junkfood since you won't be seeing them for a while.
MENTAL
If you thought that fitness is all about lifting weights and eating right then you're dead wrong. It's actually more mentally driven. You have to prepare yourself mentally before each workout. Some people listen to music to pump themselves up and give them that extra edge when working out but it's actually all in your head. That last rep makes all the difference and if you're not mentally determined, then you'd give up on that last crucial rep. It's the same thing with dieting. If you're not mentally prepared for it then you'd easily give in to your cravings and ruin your diet. You have to challenge yourself mentally everyday if you want that to live a healthy fit lifestyle.
PERSONAL
Fitness is personal. It's different for each person. Even though we all have the same goal, to be healthier, our reasons vary. A teenager's reason for getting fit might be to be noticed by his or her crush. A mother's reason might be to lose the extra weight she gained from her pregnancy. This is the beauty of fitness. We set our own goals, we have our own motives which makes the experience different for each of us.
I hope that more people join the fitness lifestyle. I truly believe that this lifestyle makes a person better. It pushes the person to perform well, become better, and have a healthier life.
