Hi everyone! Thanks for being here. This week, I’m writing about 15 different things I’ve learned since beginning my fitness journey. I first got into fitness around the end of my freshman year of college. That was about 4 and a half years ago. Since then, I’ve made a lot of mistakes and done a lot of crazy shit in the name of fitness. But here I am all these years later, still invested, involved, and passionate about this area of my life. And with these years of learning, messing up, and growing, I’ve learned a lot about fitness and movement that I want to share with all of you today. So here goes, 15 things I’ve learned on my fitness journey.
Running is free therapy.
I first started running by choice during COVID-19. And at the start of my running journey, it was more or so a forced punishment to keep myself moving during the pandemic. However, around the time of my senior year of college, I took the pressure off and it became more of an act of empowerment and proof of what I was capable of. I started training for a half marathon, and as I upped my mileage, I’ve had to find creative ways to make those long runs less, well, long. I made playlists, did guided runs, and just used that time to simply reflect and think. It was an escape from everything around me. A moment of peace before the chaos of the day began. I learned that running is a form of therapy. A way to clear my head or explore the emotional state of my being. Running is a lot of physical toll and effort, but it’s mostly the mental toughness that you go through. It’s a mental sport. But also an endurance sport. Working both the mind and body simultaneously in a way that makes me feel connected to the world around me, but also to my soul. Sounds woo-woo, right?
Fitness can be fun.
As plain, simple, and obvious as it sounds, I didn’t realize this right away. I didn’t realize fitness could be enjoyed. That it could be fun. Historically, it was always an induced punishment, something I feared due to my lack of endurance, or a forced activity through gym class or a sport I played. And growing up, I did play sports, and I did have fun. In my mind, though, that was never considered “fitness” or “exercise” because I was having fun with my friends. To me, it was just something I did, and the extra running, lifting, or workouts were the real exercise.
I think I learned that fitness and exercise could actually be rewarding AND fun around my freshman or sophomore year of college. This is when I started working out with a friend of mine, both at college and back home. I have so many great memories of clowning around at the gym, laughing my ass off. And fitness can be that way for all of us. We can run or go to the gym with friends. We can play team sports or just play some games in the yard with family. It doesn’t have to fit a certain definition to be considered “fitness” or “exercise”. Any movement is good movement. And any movement can be fun. It doesn’t have to feel like a punishment to be effective.
Protein bars and microwave meals are not real food and should not be all you consume.
This sounds incredibly obvious. Some people may still be learning this, though. For example, as a sophomore in college, my diet consisted of fruit, energy drinks, protein shakes, canned soup, tuna pouches, canned vegetables, Quest bars, and microwave meals from the Mizzou Market. I wasn’t exactly what you’d consider “thriving”. Most everything I ate came from a package. And it’s harder in college, especially in the dorms, to eat whole foods all the time. But this isn’t real food, and therefore it’s not gonna make you feel your best. Do your body one better, and try to survive on some more things that come out of the ground rather than out of Walmart’s protein and weight loss aisle.
Picking out clothes for your workouts is kinda fun.
It really is. And even better, it gets me excited about the next day’s workout. Cute gym clothes are a great motivator. I’d suggest investing in some quality gym clothes that fit you well, are comfortable, and you feel confident in. Go get you some.
We’re all stronger and more capable than we think.
I say this only because it’s true. Which I of course know through lived experiences and from my fitness journey. From being the last one done with conditioning on every team I played on and having an 8-minute half mile, I went to soaring and loving to run. Still at a slow pace, of course, but not quite as slow. I’ve gotten stronger than I thought possible and can almost do an unassisted pull-up. I used to think that was reserved for the “thin gym goers”. But what I’ve learned is that really, anyone can do anything. It just takes repetition, practice, consistency, and effort. It takes patience, grace, and, of course, the belief that we can.
The gym is a great place to discover music.
And I’m not talking about the music they play out loud at the gym. Not that bullshit. What I mean is that when you bring your headphones to the gym, it’s a great time to put on a new album or the Weekly Discover playlist they give you on Spotify. Especially when walking on the treadmill or doing some simple dumbbell lifts. It keeps the workout fresh and less monotonous. I get tired of my workout playlist from time to time, and that’s when I start to explore new music. And 9 out of 10 times, I discover a song or two that sticks. And what that means is that it’s a great day. Also, for anyone curious, this is my workout playlist (yes, I am stuck in 2016, mind your business).
The fitness freaks and gym bros are real, but don’t let them scare you.
I think fitness culture can get a bad rap, and of course, I’ve spoken about my quarrels with it in my post “What Bothers Me About Fitness Culture.” Yet overall, it’s a positive space to be in, and fitness can be an incredibly motivating, empowering, and rewarding part of our lives. The scary truth is, however, just like on any corner of the internet and every niche you dive into, some freaks take it way too far. The sausage sauna bros who drink muscle milk and eat raw meat. But, I’ve learned not to let people who are super into fitness scare me or intimidate me because they are on fitness journeys of their own. They might have their own spin on it, of course, but it’s their business nonetheless. Just stay in your lane, do what’s best for you, and don’t let the barefoot carnivores walking around the gym on a Tuesday afternoon ever make you feel out of place.
Fitness is a way I invest in myself, and I believe everyone should have their own version of fitness in their lives.
This is something I didn’t learn early on in my fitness journey, but I eventually made my way there. I’ve learned that fitness isn’t a punishment, but rather the opposite. It’s a way to invest in yourself and take care of yourself. And everyone should be taking care of themselves. I believe fitness and physical health are a part of that. Fitness will look different for everyone. Not everyone loves the gym or running and shit like that. And luckily for those people, fitness is so much more. So make your health a priority. Invest in yourself, love yourself, and take care of yourself.
Low-intensity workouts are my favorite.
I’ve learned I enjoy walks, jogs, and weight lifting a bit more than sprint workouts and HIIT training. I always feel a little more accomplished after the high-intensity workouts, but as far as enjoyment goes, low intensity has my heart.
Long runs are incredibly rewarding.
I always feel so accomplished after a long run. And as I’ve grown in my health and fitness journey, this has continued to look different for me. A long run used to be 3 miles. Then 6 miles. Now I can run 13. But after each run I’ve considered “long”, I’ve been proud of what I’ve accomplished. As far as fitness goes, I’ve learned there’s no greater feeling than finishing the long runs. Proving to yourself that you can push past barriers and do hard things.
Having a few fitness-related goals keeps the momentum going and has kept me motivated.
Since the beginning of my fitness journey, these goals have changed, but I feel like always having one small or big goal to reach keeps fitness exciting. With the determination to accomplish something also comes the motivation and grit to get it done. With these goals in mind, I’m always more than happy to get at it. As of right now, the goals I’m working towards are an unassisted pull-up, and I just started training for my third half marathon. I’ve just learned that what works for me as far as keeping fitness fun and interesting is having goals for myself. So if you’re someone who struggles with the motivation side of things, try setting a few goals for yourself.
Nutrition is a huge part of fitness, but tracking calories and macros is not for me.
Been there, done that. And won’t be doing that again.
While yes, nutrition is a huge aspect of health and wellness, the tracking can go too far, too fast. It’s also not necessary to eat a well-rounded diet or improve your physical health. There are other, much more effective, approaches to eating that can allow you to enhance your physical health and meet the fitness goals you may have for yourself. And I’ve learned that focusing on those approaches works better for me than tracking calories or macros does.
Consistency is more important than perfection.
I’ve heard this so often in all realms of life, especially in fitness, yet hearing it’s one thing and it actually clicking is another. I guess I didn’t truly digest or understand this school of thought until much later in my fitness journey. I operated under the notion that my workout routine and schedule needed to be spot on and perfect each week, unless traveling. But fitness is much more nuanced than that. How we exercise and move will ebb and flow with the changes of life, and when things come up and don’t go according to plan, what’s the big deal in the grand scheme of things? If we focus on being consistent with our routine rather than being tied to the idea of perfection, we will be much better off.
Exercising three days or so a week for the rest of your life will be much more valuable than striving for perfection and throwing it all away when things don’t go to plan. Just do your best with each day and let that be enough. Which transitions well into the next thing I’ve learned.
Do your best and let that be enough.
This concept applies to fitness as well as just life in general. But I’ve learned this piece of advice from my fitness journey because there have been so many moments and days where I’ve been tired, didn’t feel like eating healthy, didn’t want to work out, didn’t get good sleep, or lie around most of the day. Just because we can’t control or make perfect every factor that ties into physical health doesn’t mean we shouldn’t, at the very least, strive for our best. Do your best on the long runs or in the gym, and if you didn’t accomplish what you may have wanted to, acknowledge you did your best in those circumstances, and there’s always tomorrow or next week to meet that goal. All we can do in each moment is our best, and as long as we do that, there’s no reason to beat ourselves up for our perceived failures. Just do what you can. And don’t stress the rest.
Fitness is meant to elevate your life, not to be your life.
The last thing I’ve learned on my fitness journey is that exercise and fitness are meant to keep you healthy and in good shape as to elevate and enhance your life. Your life is not meant to revolve around the gym or your meals or whatever else. You form these habits so you can live the best life possible for yourself. Not because it’s the only thing that matters. Sometimes I struggle to always keep this advice in mind, but it’s something I know to be true, and just need to live in alignment with a little more often.
But yeah, move your body to optimize your quality of life. Eat good foods to feel your best and fuel your body. These are all great things to work towards, just don’t let them take center stage and make you forget about what’s most important in life.
Thanks for reading!!!
Thank you so much for reading. I hope this was helpful or insightful in one way or another. I appreciate every second you guys take to skim through my shit. Just know that.
If you enjoyed this post and want to read more fitness-related content, check out my post “Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Fitness Journey“.
Anyway, I’ll write again next week, see you then!