7 Pieces of Fitness Wisdom Most People Learn Too Late
Learn from the mistakes of those who came before you.
We’re all familiar with the phrase “with age comes wisdom”.
Life was cool and carefree in my 20s. I was working in the advertising industry and living the big city life. Only when I got older did I realize neither of those things made me happy. In fact, they made me miserable.
I’ve walked a similar path with fitness, making a lot of mistakes over the years in the name of self-betterment. Fitness is full of pitfalls and trapdoors and roads to nowhere. Perils I didn’t fully understand until I experienced some of them for myself.
Don’t be like me. Learn from the mistakes of those who came before you.
These seven lessons represent my hard-earned wisdom after years of failure, injury, and wasted opportunities.
1. If you worry about what others think, you’ll never succeed
There was always one question that gripped me whenever I considered anything new.
What will others think?
I was worried what my workout partner would think if I wanted to adjust my training program. I was worried what my family would think if my eating habits changed. I was worried what my friends would think if I showed up to a music festival without six-pack abs.
As a result, I never fully committed to a goal. I toed a fine line so at any moment I could snap back into the version of myself others wanted me to be. Living that chameleon life.
Your fitness journey is yours and yours alone. Yours are the only opinions that matter. Make fitness choices that serve your needs, not the needs of others.
Easier said than done, I know. But trust me, serving at the behest of another master, knowing you’ve put yourself in that position, is a depressing place to be.
2. There’s no quicker path to misery than working towards conditional results
I used to operate under the mindset of conditional happiness, where I needed to satisfy a specific condition in order to be happy. Examples usually started with, “I’ll be happy when…” or “I can be happy if...”.
If I finish a marathon, I’ll be satisfied.
If I squat 300 pounds, that will be enough.
If I lose 20 pounds, I’ll feel joy.
Unfortunately, even when we satisfy these conditions, we often feel hollow and unfulfilled. Think of how you felt after finishing the last season of your favorite television show.
Unconditional happiness, happiness regardless of external factors, should be the aim. And that can only be found within the training process. The late night gym sessions. The Sunday afternoon yoga classes. The early morning runs chasing the sunrise.
If you can’t find happiness during training, it won’t last long when you finally reach the finish line. The journey is the destination, as they say.
If you’re not finding joy in the journey, it’s time to reassess your mission.
3. It’s vital to cultivate relationships with people older than you
When I started my first professional job I was 23 years old. I knew very little about about working full-time and even less about how to function in a professional environment.
I became fast friends with Chris, a senior member of the department who was in his mid-30s. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. I credit him for much of my early success in the corporate world. He’s still a friend and mentor to this day.
Everyone needs a Chris.
People older than you keep your feet on the ground. They offer a more rounded perspective. They give advice based on real-world application, not assumptions or false expectations.
So next time you see that “old guy” or girl working out in the corner, don’t pass them with a dismissive shrug. Strike up a conversation. If nothing else they’ve got a great story to tell.
4. Workout partners come and go…and that’s ok
Fitness partnerships ebb and flow, as all relationships do.
My best friend from college and I trained together for nearly ten years. We established our routine during school and carried it into post-grad life. We pushed each other. Supported one another. And most importantly, made progress towards our goals.
But there came a time when we stopped pushing as hard. There came a time when our support of the other dwindled. There came a time when our fitness goals diverged.
There came a time for our partnership to end.
Ending a relationship is hard. Especially ones that last years. But sometimes as one door closes, another one opens. Sometimes, it’s exactly what you need to move forward.
If you haven’t already, try going at fitness alone for a while. Solitude can fuel your growth if you embrace it. You’ll be better equipped when the next workout partner comes along.
5. Prioritize consistency over intensity
This is the single most important thing I’ve learned in nearly 20 years of living an active lifestyle. Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. The idea is to stay healthy and fit for the duration.
This means sacrificing short-term gains for long term success.
Many of us are solely focused on performance indicators — how fast we can run, how much we can lift, etc. I get it, these are sexy metrics to pursue. They look good on paper and elevate our social status. I’m no stranger to prioritizing performance.
But performing at a high level often comes at too high a price.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dealt with injuries in my distance running career. IT band syndrome, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, the list goes on. I lived a vicious cycle for a long time; injury, recovery, training, back to injury.
Eventually this became too much for me to bear. Running is my great passion in life. It’s what I love to do. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized I’d rather run all year at a moderate pace than a small percentage of the year at a blistering pace.
Since I’ve changed my mindset, I haven’t incurred one overuse injury. Not one. I haven’t missed racing as much as I would have thought. I haven’t felt unfulfilled. I haven’t burned out mentally and physically.
Step off the gas a bit. Take things down a notch. You’ll find yourself happier and in better shape than ever before.
6. Learn as much as you can
Accumulating knowledge is a superpower.
Not enough people take the time to understand fitness’ complexity. They see their favorite influencer push a new supplement or they read one article on intermittent fasting and think they’ve got it down.
Slow your roll. There’s no need to be in such a hurry.
Take the time to research, review and analyze fitness concepts that interest you. Develop and plan your workouts ahead of time. Ask questions about thoughts and ideas you don’t understand.
Breaking a mental sweat is just as important as a physical one.
Don’t just take the information presented to you at face value either. Especially in the fitness industry. Its intent is primarily to sell and peddle, not educate and inform. Opt for sources that end in .edu, .gov or .org. If a source doesn’t appear to be legitimate, it probably isn’t.
7. There won’t be “plenty of time later” to get fit
We know our time on earth is short, but we don’t really get it until we reach an age where it’s apparent that youth has passed.
In our twenties, we feel great. Nothing aches or hurts. We hop out of bed in the morning ready to tackle the day. We think there’s plenty of time to pursue our fitness goals and forge lasting habits.
This is wishful thinking.
Time is an insidious opponent. He flies by at breakneck speed until one day we wake up and don’t feel as great. Everything aches. We can’t hop up and take on the day.
Don’t put fitness off any longer just because you think you have time. You don’t. Start going for 30 minute walks today. Write your workout plan today. Take measures to improve your health and well-being today.
For tomorrow is not promised.
To sum things up
Wisdom enables us to approach our fitness with a more resourceful outlook. It allows us to circumvent some of the hardships associated with meaningful progression.
You can acquire wisdom in two ways:
Make mistakes and learn your lessons.
Learn from the mistakes of others.
Choose option two.
Scott Mayer is a runner, thinker, curious observer and certified personal trainer. Visit the In Fitness And In Health website for training plans, consulting and additional content.