Just like that, another year has ended, and another has begun.
Life energy is in constant motion, and we can either resist or open to life as it is. The expressions and experiences in our daily lives are relative reflections of the intentions behind our actions and the attitudes we carry with us through all of life’s circumstances.
I have recently been reflecting on the issue of “fitness bypassing” within our culture, which I relate to as the use of a fitness routine/training to go around one's issues and challenges instead of going through. I have observed, this bypassing is a coping mechanism to grasp for instant gratification to temporarily feel better or avoid the inner disturbances.
Over the course of my athletic and fitness journey, looking back I have identified times where I grasped physical training as a way to feel a temporary sense of achievement or accomplishment. Training at high intensities and pushing myself to endure physical pain became a coping mechanism to deeper dissatisfaction in my life. The harder I trained, the more I didn't have to deal with the emotional void or discomfort. For a long time, training was the only way I could feel good about myself and my day.
In the past 2 decades of my coaching career, I have witnessed clients mirroring my personal experiences, seeking physical challenges as an attempt to “fix” the current dissatisfaction in their lives. In both my own and the experience of many clients, the rooted “why” behind the physical training and fitness was mostly driven by a superficial motivation to try to“fix” ourselves, not truly facing the root cause as to what is really limiting our current state of wellbeing.
When we approach fitness with curiosity and acceptance, rather than from a place of lack or attempt to fix, then the motivation to stick to the long game becomes much more inspiring.
The fitness industry is a machine during the start of the new year – selling cheap programs, fitness gadgets, bio-hacking technology, and other quick-fix programs and solutions, with promises to fix your problems, fast! With the turn of each new calendar year, the industry thrives off of people’s lack of health, fitness, vitality, happiness, body composition, and motivation. However, by mid-Feb or March, the external motivation begins to wear off and the true self begins to show through. Discomfort, emotional challenges one had tried to run away from, the conditioning, the stories, and the negative attitudes – return tenfold. Suddenly, when the truth appears, it becomes clear that the fitness program is not fixing the “issues''. This can be why “group training” appeals to most folks because it lessens the personal responsibility to show up for oneself. Over time, it’s just monkey see, monkey do – and less about getting to know oneself mentally, emotionally, and physically.
I can only share from my personal life experience that a fitness plan or movement practice is MOST beneficial when it aligns with one’s personal evolution and development. When fitness means something more than just looking better or gaining more reps – when it is connected to one's purpose, well-being, and dreams of experiencing life, fitness becomes a tool to really face oneself, connect to our purpose and learn how our bodies are our vessels for our overall emotional, mental and physical wellness.
When we begin to see our fitness routine as not separate from ourselves and begin considering it as a part of our living experience and relationship with ourselves, our purpose becomes naturally woven into our health and fitness routines and practices.
Questions you may ask yourself to explore the roots of why you value health and fitness:
What do health and fitness mean to you?
Are you pursuing a specific goal that requires a level of competency?
Is your practice to support long-term function and health?
Does your practice balance body, mind, and spirit?
Are you practicing to feel strong and confident?
When we define the “why”, we can then reflect on the actions needed to align with our purpose. Do your actions and relationship to movement provide a path that allows optimal expression of yourself to your fullest potential?
Humans are designed to move – it’s an essential part of our existence and well-being. The amount of training you need physically is relative to your current function, available energy, personal goals, and lifestyle. Fitness training with intention can expand our capacity emotionally, energetically, and physically. The dedication to one’s health is a personal process, supporting how one wishes to experience this life. Bottomline – a fitness routine should bring balance, harmony, and increased awareness and knowledge for learning how to take care of and connect with oneself.
Lasting transformation is initiated when the motivation comes from within rather than from external drives or dependence on others. When we fully own our process and learn how to face challenges and discomforts on our own, we begin to understand that our health and well-being are our responsibility and not separate. It is up to each one of us to use our bodies as vehicles to support our greatest potential and highest purpose.
MTN LAB Training Center is a resource for individuals interested in learning how to use their body as a vehicle for a higher purpose. For our team at MTN LAB, the fitness journey goes beyond the workout and is rather about tapping into the potential of health and fitness to become the best version of oneself, therefore, becoming the most beneficial to those around us. We coach people to fully engage in their fitness routines by bringing awareness to the gaps that are limiting their current health and performance.
So before you jump into the “next best thing” this year with that spark of inspiration, take a moment to reflect upon the areas in your life you are ready to face.
Where are the discomforts?
Where are the challenges?
What are the patterns?
