Is fitness a destination to be reached?

Fitness is not just a destination but a way of life. While fitness is a state of being that allows you to function better, it is also something that can be improved if you work at it on a regular basis. It is something you are constantly training to improve. Think of "fitness" as a journey one takes in pursuit of living life to the fullest.

Fitness really is a destination to be revisited. We are all born fit. As babies we are flexible, strong, agile, quick, and even smart. However as we age we begin to  lose those wonderful gifts due to the heavy demands from everyday life. We stop exercising, eating properly, resting, andeven playing. It is our job as adults to regain that sense of being fit and come to a full and complete understanding that we need to become kids again.

Fitness is as much of a destination as education is.  There are benchmarks in fitness that we look too.  Some of these benchmarks include body fat percentage, physical strength, the ability to complete or compete in an event such as a marathon or triathlon.  While there are many benchmarks, fitness generally speaking should be pursued our entire lives.  We will have periods in life where our body fat is a little higher or our strength a little lower and we will notice these changes and hopefully make the reciprocal change in our lives to correct these deficiencies.  Fitness is a life choice much like the desire to continue to educate ourselves.

Fitness is a lifestyle that you choose to live.  You make an effort to choose healthful things for your body, such as nutrition and exercise only to name a few.  It is the collection of these choices that make us fit and keep us fit though out our life. So keep the destination in mind, but enjoy the journey.

Fitness is more about the journey than the destination.  There's always room for improvement and change.  It's a lifestyle that takes conscious effort to adopt.  It takes discipline, but it doesn't have to be difficult.  Make fitness fun.  Incorporate changes into your daily life little by little by way of healthier food choices, taking the stairs rather than using the elevator, parking farther away from the store, playing ball with the kids, walking with a friend, bicycling to work a couple days a week, and so on.  You'll notice a difference that those choices make in your life and hopefully that will spur further positive change that will continue throughout your life. 

Fitness will never be a destination.  Fitness will always be a part of you and ever changing.  As you set goals for yourself wether it be short term or long term things will always change.  The best quote I have heard is "There is no finish line".  We all set goals for ourselves but once we achieve these goals we will always have new ones for ourselves.  So in the end fitness will never be a destination but a way of life.  As your body and lifestyle change so will your fitness goals. 

Fitness is not necessarily a destination to be reached but rather a way of life to be pursued. Fitness can (and should) be broken down into measurable goals that give you direction and allow you to track progress. Fitness is dynamic, never static. It is a state of the body that is in constant change. It can be improved through focus and consistent effort or it can decline due to neglect and indifference. Fitness should be thought of as a blank canvas that is brought with each new day and each new day gives you the opportunity to continue your work of art that is your health.

Fitness may or may not be a destination. The Western English Dictionary states that a destination is the predetermined end of a journey or voyage. Based on this definition fitness would probably not be defined as a destination. It's more of a lifestyle than it is a predetermined end of a journey. This is one of the things that actually makes exercise so difficult for so many. It's not something you can do once to avoid for example diabetes. It's something that we need to incorporate into our everyday lives to ensure continued good health. 

However the Western English Dictionary also states that a destination is the purpose for which something is destined. Based on this definition is would seem that fitness could be something one is 'destined' to achieve but destined to achieve as part of a lifelong journey toward healthy living.  

Whether or not fitness is a destination would probably be based on how someone defines it.  

I recently answered a similar question inquiring, “Is Fitness a Habit?” The answer to the question of it being a destination is quite similar. According to Merriam-Webster.com, destination is defined as The place to which one is going or directed. You really cannot “arrive or get to” fitness and just stay there. Fitness is an intangible ever-changing decision making process that is incorporated into the lifestyle you choose. It can be measured, tested, and charted, but never completed or possessed.

Fitness is a conscious CHOICE not a habit or destination. Fitness is comprised of a series of deliberate decisions, conscious commitments, daily disciplines, and lifestyle choices requiring the continual awareness of how one treats the body and what he or she does with it. While a fitness “routine” does involve repetitive behaviors that may be incorporated into a daily schedule, SUCCESS comes only through continual hard work, structured progression, and dedicated effort by the participant. An individual must be an active participant in their fitness program and continually strive for progress in order to gain the ownership and enthusiasm that will carry them through the challenges, obstacles, and trials that come with maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the chaos of and ever-evolving work-life balancing act.  You can reach the destination of the couch, or you can choose to walk the fitness path and enjoy the changing landscape.  

Even the most fit people in the world think they can still improve. Think of it as a journey not a destination!

You've heard "use it or lose it".  Fitness is definitely a journey.  Destination, to me implies the end.  I believe to stay fit, one needs to constantly challenge the body to try new and different movement (exercise classes, sports, etc).  A person that one day huffs and puffs going up the stairs can start her journey to fitness by first walking 10 minutes a day and perhaps build up to walking 30 minutes, then an hour a day.  Maybe from there she can start running, maybe after that sign up to run a 5K than a marathon.  Then perhaps she gets interested in Zumba or a boot camp class, maybe even weight training.  The sky's the limit.  

Constantly challenge yourself, that's the key to fitness. 

Fitness is not a destination, it is part of life's journey. When asked this question, I am reminded of one of my favorite poems, The Station by Robert J. Hastings. In this inspirational work, Robert speaks of our journey through life and reminds us to enjoy it along the way. Oftentimes we focus on reaching a certain goal or achieving a certain status in life, and forget to enjoy the path that led us there. In much the same way, fitness is a journey. As we set different fitness goals for ourselves, let's enjoy the path that leads us to achieving those goals! Please see my blog on this topic where I have posted a copy of The Station by Robert J. Hastings. I hope it inspires you as it has inspired me.

Fitness is a continual journey through life.  Just as success is continuous.  Never think that you have arrived, because fitness is a daily activity.

Fitness is a life-long exploration and the key is to find out how to make it sustainable for the rest of your life so that your body can serve you the best way it can for as long as it can. This is why I belive fitness to be a journey more than a destination to be reached. The way one stays fit and healthy will vary from one stage of life to another (or even from one day to the next) so be open to taking a different path to staying fit if it means that you will be able to continue to exercise and eat well without getting "stuck", frustrated or bored!

Fitness can be looked at as more of a lifestyle choice. So in essence it is more of a journey. It is hard to measure a feeling, goals require a form of measurement or data in order to chart success. However, we often need goals to motivate us and keep ourselves in line with the fitness lifestyle. Our fitness requirements evolve as we age so to avoid complacency we need short term goals to guide us on a life long journey.

Fitness is a combination of destinations, and on journeys. I recommend goal setting in regards to fitness. Setting attainable goals, varying from small to big, can make it seem more like a journey rather than destination. Your goals may change, and evolve into something bigger. You may start wanting to be able to run a 5K, but when you reach the 5K you may decide you want to do a 10K, Half Marathon, or even a Marathon. Destinations are great for vacations, but fitness should be viewed as an ongoing journey, and ultimately a lifestyle. I mean think about it, do you ever want to regress and not be fit? Make it a journey; explore the many facets of being fit.

 

One single destination for fitness is never really the case in a balanced exercise program. It is great to have short and long term goals to guide and motivate us along the way, but regular exercise and healthy eating habits should be a part of your routine for your whole life. For that reason, I view fitness as a progressive course of action rather than a point A to point B destination.

Because we all start out at different levels of physical fitness, it is impossible to create one universal benchmark or fitness destination for everyone. The level of fitness depends on the individual, their goals, training and natural abilities. An elite athlete has a different level of fitness than a stay-at-home mom, but it is equally important for both of them to adopt and maintain exercise habits that will lead them to their own ideal fitness destination.

The great thing about exercise is that you are never too old to improve your current fitness level; whether it pertains to aspects of strength, flexibility, mobility, cardiorespiratory ability, etc. Additionally, most of us are in the process of attaining our fitness or weight loss goals, but even after you reach your immediate targets it is a good idea to take on new goals to stay motivated and improve other aspects of fitness.

Points to Remember:

• Strive to make exercise and healthy eating a regular part of your daily schedule
• Challenge yourself by making attainable short and long term goals
• Fitness doesn’t stop after reaching specific goals
• View fitness as a progression, not a point A to point B objective

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” -Lao Tzu

 www.augustynstraining.com

 

Fitness usually begins in an individual as a destination. A goal weight, goal measurement, participation in an event etc...

Then as the process of transformation continues, goals are reached, new goals are set and reached and the process continues on.

Over time, the original "destination" has been far surpassed and new goals are continually set. So, in a sense there is always a "Fitness Destination" but it is always a moving target.

Enjoy the process.

To your health,

Robert

Fitness is a journey, not a destination to be reached. Most of the time when we think of destinations, we think of them as somewhere we arrive, and then stop. Fitness is an ongoing process. There are always things we can continue to do in order to improve our health and fitness. Even the most elite athlete is still constantly trying to improve their fitness levels. So, instead of thinking of fitness as a destination to reach ... think of it as a lifelong journey to enjoy.