Fit defined
Synonyms: appropriate, right, suitable, acceptable, adequate, apt, proper.
Meanings: appropriate, healthy, ready, convulsion, install, measure, match.
The overlapping word is appropriate.
Appropriate: 1. Apt; fitting: an appropriate solution; words appropriate to the occasion.
I took a dictionary detour for a singular reason. To pause and think for a second, what fit means to you. Is your definition in tune with reality? Is it useful for the future of your health and wellbeing?
We are surrounded by marketing campaigns, celebrity endorsements, TV spots for “medical” cures, extreme makeover shows, a 20 Billion dollar weight loss industry and 108 Million Americans on diets (making 4 to 5 attempts per year). While the likelihood of changing the whole nation’s hysteria on what it means to be “fit” is low to non-existent. It is possible to change one perspective, your own.
In my opinion fit needs a redo. We need to move away from the idea that being fit is something you can purchase, cure with a pill or achieve through copying what one celebrity does with endless resources. We need to release the pressure valve that demands one look like the latest fashion model, movie star or sports hero.
We need to accept that we all are capable of achieving a level of fitness appropriate to our age, gender, movement goals and basic daily requirements. We need to reinforce the importance of consistency, good posture, healthy body mechanics and pure joy in movement. I believe this requires a new definition.
A new definition of fit
A body that can perform daily tasks with ease and grace
A body fueled by real food that needs minimal prescriptions.
A body fit to handle the mental ups and downs of life.
A body with energy over at the end of the day to share with loved ones.
A body shape and size determined by your ability to enjoy life to its’ fullest!
Now that’s fit!
How to get started on the physical part of fit?
Let’s go back to the word appropriate. Defining your level of fit demands a realistic look at what it is you want and need to accomplish on a daily basis. For example, depending on your specific work and home life demands, there are certain minimum physical tasks one aims to accomplish on a regular basis. (Given no disability or injury exists)
- Simple household chores
- Get in and out of car or bus
- Sit or stand for periods of time
- Walk short distances
- Carry groceries in and out of the house
- Work in the garden or mow lawn
- Play with children or grandchildren
- Utilize steps if available at work or home
- Run a few steps if necessary
- Put your suitcase in the overhead bin with ease
- Enjoy a walk with a friend
- Assist an elder family member with daily tasks
The above list is a small sample of possibilities; each person has a unique set of daily physical essentials. Once you determine your individual scope of tasks then move on to examine specific actions involved in those activities. Such as:
- Bending
- Reaching
- Walking
- Twisting
- Lifting
- Holding
- Squatting
- Sitting
- Balancing
- Standing
- Carrying
If you can do all the actions above with agility and effortlessly then whatever training you are doing is probably working well for you. Keep it up! If not, you might want to consider additional training components, in order to enhance your movement capabilities.
- Improve balance and coordination
- Increase mobility of joints
- Enhance posture and spinal alignment
- Improve breathing capacity
- Increase arm and leg strength
- Develop a minimum level of stamina
- Reduce the number of times injured
- Increase overall level of energy
Then start exploring movement programs suitable to achieving the movement possibilities you aspire to improve. For example, a 70-year old client arrived seeking to improve her posture, balance and overall level of energy. Thus, clear goals and reasonable expectations.
Working within the framework of the client’s goals and structured to match her age and current level of fitness, a program was initiated. So here’s the catch, one must be patient, consistent and willing to progress at a healthy pace. Those three traits are not common in our current fast-paced, quick fix mentality.
What kind of exercise program then is best for me? From my experience, movement programs focused around core strength are suitable for a vast majority of individuals of any age and or level of movement experience. They aptly meet all of the training components previously mentioned.
For my own regime I found Classical Pilates fulfills all the requirements I have from a daily movement perspective. I supplement this with regular outdoor walks and hikes and when weather permits a weekly lap swim. I also believe in spending time outdoors with no real agenda, just to de-stress and recharge.
What about the mental component of “fit”?
Obviously as an individual in the health and wellness industry I believe in the power of physical exercise. I have witnessed numerous clients gain new mental strength through the powers of movement alone. I’m fully aware there are individuals who need more assistance than just exercise in dealing with extreme depression and other mental illnesses.
However, “Think of exercise as medication,” says John Ratey, M.D., an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Ratey is the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, an investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain. If you think of exercise as your go to solution during periods of stress as well as in the easier times, it just might be the medicine you seek.
Going back to the meaning of fit as appropriate and adequate, do you provide yourself with mental space? Time to relax, unwind and not judge. There are many forms of meditation and relaxation available to explore. Personally, I find just unplugging and zoning provide me with sufficient amounts of mental space.
Regularly I hear individuals say “I just don’t have time.” I strongly believe time is there if you make it. I own a business and the hours are extremely long. That said, it’s amazing what a 5-minute break to step outside can do. But you have to make it a priority and be consistent.
Short and sweet
Determining your own level of fit with a realistic mentality must include movement that can go anywhere and fit any space. The reality of life is busy, complicated and often on the go. Whether I am traveling or working from home I strongly believe in developing a couple short workouts as part of my exercise toolbox.
Currently my latest 10-minute workouts are a joint mobility routine adapted from Steve Maxwell’s regime and a 10-minute Pilates mat workout from Power Pilates. I can do either of these in a small area, such as hotel room or office space.
They offer an energizing uplift to the day and keep my body in motion. I find these short bouts of exercise also provide a needed form of recovery. In other words, they give my body just enough movement to energize and not too much to deplete existing reservoirs.
Plus, there is something very liberating about a 10-minute workout. First there is the rejuvenating element, second is the time does not cut into your day and third, it is great as an injury prevention tool. In other words; short, sweet and effective.
To sum it up it all up
- Make your own personal definition of fit
- Acknowledge your daily physical requirements
- Pin point basic actions within those tasks
- Find an exercise program to meet your needs
- Make time in your schedule for mental space
- Have a tool-kit of short routines
- Stick with it!
As with many healthy aspirations, the hardest part is getting started. In this case, do one thing now, redefine fit. It’s a step forward in a new direction.
