Every May, exercisers and athletes celebrate and are celebrated for their fitness efforts. While it is popular to focus only on athletes like Lebron James and Tom Brady during this time, we at Canvas Muscle want to share why you, exercisers and fitness clients, should be praised for your physical prowess too.
According to dictionary.com, exercise is “an activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness; an activity carried out for a specified skill.” Similarly, sport is defined as "an athletic activity requiring skill and often of a competitive nature." Sounds to me like fitness clients are in fact athletes. Here's why:
You are skilled
Unskilled exercisers face consequences. While they devote time and money to their fitness goals, they lack the skills to maintain proper form or use the equipment effectively. They soon realize they are not seeing results from their workouts.
Injury is another consequence of a lack of skills. According to the U.S. Sun article titled Nearly half of Americans have ‘gym-xiety’ about injuring themselves, 42% of the 1200 exercisers surveyed experienced an exercise injury at the gym. And six out of ten reported they were reluctant to try new routines because of injury anxiety. So if you've been working out efficiently and seeing results, you are skilled.
"I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was."
Muhammad Ali
You work to improve health and fitness goals
Would you believe some of our fitness clients are more healthy than some pro athletes? One may assume that all athletes seek to be healthy, but that is not the case. In the SBNATION article titled Dwight Howard ate the equivalent of 24 candy bars per day for more than a decade, the author tells us that, despite his physique and athletic abilities, Howard was addicted to candy. For exercisers currently living a fitness lifestyle and those who have moderated their cravings, you should be proud. Give yourself credit for working at or achieving your health and fitness goals.
You are competitive
There may be some exercisers who compete against a friend or the person on the gym equipment next to them. When exercisers do this, it causes additional stress because they are letting others define their performance indicators. But the real competition lies within yourself and your unrealized potential. Self competition is true competition. Many gym goers eventually realize this and adjust their philosophy accordingly. At-home exercisers naturally adapt to this thinking because there is no one around to compare themselves to. They instead work on achieving new levels and conquering their fears, procrastination, and indecision.
"It's not bragging if you can back it up."
Muhammad Ali
Conclusion
There you have it, fitness clients. . . uh, we mean athletes. While you may not compete in a formal event, you are definitely an athlete. You deserve to celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month like a pro athlete this month and every month.
And by the way, when we say celebrate like the pros, we mean having the same confidence and pride in your achievements as Muhammad Ali would. If you took it to mean pop bottles and celebrate with your friends and family, that’s ok too.
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