I guess it's the ads we see first, the ones with the ridiculously well conditioned athletes -- the woman with jutting abs and the man with rippled shoulders -- that draw us in. There's a deep exhale and sudden longing to look something like them. Something better than we do at the moment at least. There's nothing wrong with this initial jump into a life of fitness, so long as it is only the propellant.
There is an increasing divide between 'looking good' and 'feeling better', and it can be incredibly demotivating for many people. We live in a society of instant gratification (I remember writing that in my Grade 6 Social Studies essay) that has only increased in both speed and expectation. Even in a recession, cosmic surgery is on the rise. Like everything, we want to fast track to the perfect body we see on the fitness ads, and don't realize that overcoming twenty years of less judicious eating and exercise habits does not happen in a month or even a year. The real shame in all of this is that people decide fitness is not for them. That they can't make it to the gym six times a week. They resign themselves to the extra weight and sadness and health problems that come with it.
When the goal is primarily to "look good", we run the risk of high expectations and short term disappointment. But when the goal is to "feel better", we are far more likely to stick it out for the long term and find the results we are looking for.
The goal of fitness should not be "Look Good. Feel Better." but "Look Better. Feel Good."
Think of it in terms of relationships. The ones we cherish tend to be individuals who make us feel good about ourselves. The same is true of everything in our life. If we are only working out to look good, we will tend towards the disappointment upon comparing our bodies to those around us. But if the goal is to feel better about ourselves, both physically and psychologically, than we are in a great position to see change in our life.
A life of fitness is not easy. It requires work and consistency. That said, there is a great reward for those who are willing to adapt their lives towards one of exercise and careful (not crazy) eating habits. Don't be afraid to wade into the water. Take baby steps if you must. Use the stairs, not the elevator. Jog with the dog instead of walking. Join a gym. No matter what it takes, find a way to make fitness part of your life. We only go around this planet once. Much better that we're healthy enough to enjoy every step of the journey.
-Steve
