The world of fitness had exploded. There are countless coaches, personal trainers, and Instagram models flaunting their bodies and wanting to help you get a better physique. Many of these same fitness influencers are a testament to the fact that improving one’s physique is a great endeavor. Once a person gets started, they will quickly learn that it provides countless learning opportunities.
Many begin this endeavor because they are dissatisfied with how they look. Yes, this feeling of dissatisfaction is often accompanied by low self esteem, but there is much more that goes into the connection between exercise and greater confidence.
Conquering Something New
For many, adding fitness to their lives means they will be stepping into a gym or the weight section for the first time. The gym can be a daunting place for newcomers, filling their heads with thoughts of am I doing this right? Everyone’s going to stare at me. I look stupid. What if I hurt myself?
This is understandable. However, it is those very thoughts that lead to a stronger and more confident you. By sticking to a new routine not only will you get an improved physique, but you will achieve something non-physical. You will overcome a fear and become comfortable in an environment that was originally foreign.
Obtaining New Values
Fitness and self esteem are further interconnected through the new values one earns. Exercise teaches the importance of consistency, discipline, and dedication. It is all too true that inspiration and motivation are fleeting. Whether one is trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or run a mile in under 10 minutes, that initial burst of inspiration will only take you so far.
An integral component of the confidence earned through exercise is the knowledge that you can stick to a grueling task and obtain the “impossible.”
Yes, it will feel amazing having the body you’ve been dreaming of, but true confidence comes from knowing how far you’ve come and that you got yourself there through grit and dedication, through research and trial and error. Fitness is an area of life where you cannot lie to yourself. You can either lift the weight or not. You can either do a pull up or not.
It is this honesty that makes your progress all the more satisfying.
These values will transcend the gym. You do not live your life in a vacuum. Therefore the grit, discipline, and dedication it took to reach your fitness goals will affect and even improve other areas of your life.
So if you are starting a fitness journey, make sure to push yourself. Make sure to plan your meals, so that when you’re exhausted and just want to go to the drive-thru, you have no reason to. Make sure to schedule your workouts when nothing else can interfere. This will be the foundation of your discipline and consistency.
How have your fitness journeys been going?
Happy lifting,
TheWritingSol
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