Health vs. Athlete

Many of us played sports growing up enjoying and learning from them. After leaving high school, the vast majority of us are no longer playing or competing at our sports. When we reach this point in our lives we don’t need to be training like we are athletes anymore.

Are you training to be an athlete or are you training for health? My guess is if you are reading this then you are or at least should be training for health.

Training as an athlete can be about pushing it to the extremes. You are trying to be at your peak physically for a relatively short period of time.

Training for health should be something we are doing until the day we die. If we have that kind of time frame in mind then our training should reflect it.

Training as an athlete can lead to injury since we are pushing the extremes. Participating in sports has a high level uncertainty that can also cause injury but it is a risk that is often worth it to those participating.

Training for health should not be getting you injured. It should be about preparing the body to protect itself against injury. It should be about strengthening your body and abilities so you can live a better and more enjoyable life.

Make exercise and workout decisions based on the future. How do I want to feel tomorrow, the next week, the next year, in five years, etc...There is no winning the workout today. Win the workout with a long term approach in mind.

Being healthy and achieving the fitness we desire requires work that never ends. It is rewarding work and we suggest you find a way to enjoy it. Find challenges, set different goals, exercise with a friend, make it fun and you are more likely to stay on the course. If you fall off the course, don’t worry our bodies are resilient, just get back on, ease back into and continue your journey.