Fitness For Life

By Shane Sauer

Are you currently an infinite player or a finite player in terms of your health?

Which do you want to be moving forward?

It’s my belief that true fitness only comes when you play the long game.

If you don’t believe me, consider this question, “Who are the best athletes you can think of?”

Whether you’re a sports enthusiast or not, I’m willing to bet that you named athletes who have one thing in common, longevity.

Sure, there are athletes that have dominant moments or seasons, but the great ones that we all remember have dominant careers. And what separates an athlete with a great career from one with a great season is usually an ability to avoid serious injury.

Athletes who last do the hard work. They don’t rely on natural talents alone. They don’t take shortcuts. Great athletes understand it’s about being better than they were yesterday and seeing that progress build over time.

To bring this message back to your everyday fitness, let’s look at some choices you can make (infinite- vs. finite-minded):

• Enjoying movement versus doing a workout

• Building workout habits versus attempting a 21 day program

• Getting stronger versus lifting XX pounds

The list could go on and on.

Hopefully, you can see how the infinite-minded ideas are about building a relationship with physical activity whereas the finite-minded choices are about completing a goal.

The truth is that you need both of them. Goal setting and completion provide you with motivation and a feeling of accomplishment. That is a very good thing.

The problem arises when achieving the goal overshadows the long-term reason behind that goal.

In other words, when you fixate on the goal without remembering the reason for the goal, you’re most likely to get hurt and sacrifice your long-term health for a short-term marker.

There are always new and exciting workout challenges or upcoming events to get ready for. The key is to figure out how to create a routine that supports those finite goals.

I know this sounds tricky. And yes it takes a little work. The good news for you is that you know a fitness professional who loves to help people with this mindset transition.

So the next time you want to try a new activity or take on a new challenge, send me a message first and I’ll work with you to help create the right mindset for your success and your health!