Fitness means so many different things to so many different people. Whether fitness is your career, one of your passions, a hobby that you enjoy, or even if it’s something that you take part in just because you think you should, finding your “why” is the first step to success.
As a kid, I tried several different types of exercise, ranging from team sports to dance lessons. Nothing ever stuck, I never felt super passionate about or connected to them. I first felt genuinely excited about a sport when I started playing rugby in high school. The difference was that I had found a “why.” The team was like a family, the game was a great emotional outlet, and practicing four days a week made me feel healthy.
After I got out of high school, I stopped playing and lost all desire to make fitness a part of my life. For the following few years, I was in and out of the gym inconsistently, but I never took it seriously. It wasn’t until earlier this year that I truly found my “why,” which turned into a passion for fitness. At the beginning of this year, my anxiety was at an all-time high, and my self-esteem was at an all-time low. One day, as I was scrolling through TikTok, one of my favourite influencers posted about how fitness helped her find herself again, and it resonated with me. The next day, I stepped back into the gym, and I haven’t stopped since. After a few months of weight training consistently, my mental health was in a much better place, and my goals shifted.
At this point in my journey, I am pushing my body every day to see how much it is capable of, I am practicing discipline and consistency, and I am focused on the process, rather than the end goal.
Whether your goal is to look a certain way, feel a certain way, or move a certain way, your “why” is what keeps you going.
