Practical Fitness

Practical Fitness

Fitness.  It’s a big thing to be fit and yet so many people don’t do even the minimum needed to maintain a level of fitness that allows them to continue living their lives at their current level of physical capability.

Why is that?

Studies place the reason for not engaging in even minimal physical fitness activities on a number of reasons.

1: Lack of time

2: Training is boring

3: Training at a gym is intimidating

4: Chronic Injuries

5: And many, many more.

Yet busy people, injured people, poor people, even people with any number of physical limitations engage in physical activities to help them maintain, or improve their level of fitness.

As a personal trainer and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and coach I’ve heard it all and seen it all.  I’ve seen people who seem to be super committed quit after a few weeks.  And I’ve seen people with physical conditions that made it difficult for them to walk compete at high levels of jiu jitsu, sail around the world, dance, hike, and live a highly engaged physical life.

What is the difference? I think it is finding a reason to put up with the effort, time requirements, physical discomfort, and cost.  The reasons may be reaching some far off goals, like getting a black belt in Jiu Jitsu or hiking the Great Wall of China.

Or, maybe just being able to go shopping, taking care of the yard.. or even a pet. In other words, at the bottom of their efforts is a desire to improve some aspect of their lives.  Something…practical.

Practical fitness, then, means fitness activities with the purpose of achieving a practical outcome.  Practical fitness involves training that improves physical capabilities.  This means building strength that can be used effectively and efficiently.  It means developing cardio that allows enough capability to accomplish practical tasks such as walking a mall or… escaping a threat or bad situation. Practical fitness includes improving mobility to avoid injury and to move without becoming inured.  Being mobile to overcome physical obstacles or even the ability to avoid falls or to fall more safely.

The lesson is to find ways to train that integrate muscle movements in multiple planes of motion. Training that improves on how we actually move such as lifting, pushing , pulling, bending, or stepping up.  With this objective training can be based on any number of different methods that can be fun, and more importantly – effective.

Good luck on your journey and I hope you find the path that helps you to get to your fitness goals.

Move Better!  Coach Don.