Functional Fitness- Lift Heavy, Real-World 💩

Today we’re going to talk more about “why” we work out. It’s great to look sexy, and that may be a strong motivator for you, but it may not be enough to keep you focused on your fitness day after day for the rest of your life. What other areas of our life does fitness impact?

Mental

Studies from the National Institutes for Health show that physical exercise reduces anxiety, depression, and negative mood. Who’s not looking for that in 2020? 😅 As mentioned on day 17, exercise can have a meditative effect producing some of the same benefits as mindful meditation. It’s also great for focusing your attention which oftentimes frees up your subconscious brain to solve problems that have been plaguing you previously.

Survival

We live in a pretty safe world. It’s been a few years since we’ve thrown anyone into prison for stating the Earth revolves around the Sun. We typically don’t burn people at the stake for witchcraft. Most of us don’t have rotating sleep schedules so that someone is always on guard, watching for members of a warring tribe attempting to raid our home, kill our children, and rape our women (or men, I’m not judging). However, we can be called into action at any moment. You may be called upon to rescue loved ones from a car accident. Your home could catch fire, and you are the only one to assist until the fire department arrives. Natural disasters can leave us exposed to the elements.

When tragedy strikes, it is too late to begin training.

This is why we train. Looking good in a bathing suit is great, but protecting and defending my family is better. It’s essential to put this in perspective, though. I don’t go through life anticipating horrible events, waiting for the world to crumble. I have no control over such events, and worrying about them only induces stress and anxiety about things that may never come. But I train. And if it happens, I’m ready.

Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion; you sink to the level of your training. –Navy SEALs

Community

Despite recent advances in online communication, humans are still tribal by nature. This means we have a sense of obligation to help members of our community. Help may be in the form of:

  • helping a friend move
  • working with your neighbor to build a deck
  • changing a flat tire for a stranger
  • putting together a community event
  • assisting a relative in recovering from a medical condition

All of these have a physical component to them. When called upon to do these tasks, being strong and functional are key components to being an asset.

Financial

Being physically fit and strong helps you financially as well. In addition to helping clear your mind to focus at work, it also keeps you active and mobile and reduces your chances of getting sick, all of which allows you to do the thing you do that provides the income your family needs to survive and prosper.

Discipline

By practicing a daily commitment to your physical fitness, you exercise discipline. Discipline itself is a muscle that can and should be trained. By improving your discipline skills through your fitness regimen, you will find that your ability to stick to a plan improves in other areas of your life.

The Whole Picture

Maintaining and improving your fitness level isn’t just about being in shape. After all, “round” is a shape. Being in shape is not specific enough to be actionable as a goal. Consider how your fitness integrates with other areas of your life and incorporate that into your “why” when you think about fitness.

Today’s Tasks

Don’t forget to complete today’s tasks for the challenge.

  • Drink 1 gallon of water
  • Workout for 45 minutes
  • Read ten pages from your book
  • Stick to your meal plan

Once completed, head to the tracking site and mark them as completed to track your progress for the challenge. Tomorrow we address the darker side of fitness with our topic It rubs the lotion on its skin.