Picture the usual scene in your gym. Guys in tank tops and fancy shoes showing off their huge arms. Girls dressed in super tight pants and tops, showing off their waist and hips. What is wrong with this cute picture?
There are many things that give people false expectations of what to expect in their fitness journey which leads people to completely misunderstand what fitness actually entails. One of those things is the high fashion typically associated and promoted with fitness.
In reality, there’s nothing glamorous about fitness. It is blood, sweat and tears. It is pain, it is dedication, it is commitment. It is coming back from work with a headache and still doing what you have to do. It is not getting drunk tonight because you know it will ruin your workout tomorrow. It is pushing down meals when you are not hungry just because you need to make gains or to have enough energy for your workout at a later time.
For many people, sports clothing is not even used for sports. In fact, sports clothing is pretty much mainstream everyday clothing nowadays. Trendy urban clothing is pretty much sports clothing. Sneakers are designed to be sports shoes but people who have never worked out in their lives spend thousands of dollars to collect them and call themselves sneaker heads.
Now before you think I’m some Luddite, there’s nothing wrong with fashion. I like fashion. I enjoy looking good and dressing well. It’s just not a priority for me when I’m working out.
In today’s world, the substance of fitness has been trumped by the nothingness of fashion. You can decide to look good while also keeping fit and that’s fine. Personally, I don’t subscribe to that as I prefer to attach nothing fancy to working out. I like to keep it simple and plain.
However, if you feel like you must dress to kill while working out, your priority must still be fitness. Fitness must come before fashion. You will not get fit by putting on fancy clothes and shoes. You get fit by working out.
Some people even put on things that they don’t feel comfortable in just because it looks good. At that point, the entire point of working out has been defeated because you are more interested in looking good than in feeling comfortable while working out.
To be effective in your fitness journey, recognize this tendency in yourself and others and avoid the hype. One of the benefits of working out at home is that usually you don’t need to bother about looking good unlike when you have to go to the gym and having to impress other people with your outfit is a priority. You do your thing at home wearing whatever you want.
When working out, at home or anywhere else, concentrate on what matters. Fitness is not about looking good when working out, it’s about looking and feeling good AFTER working out.
Soldiers don’t go into battle in fancy clothes. They save the ceremonial uniforms for parades.
Credits: Cover image courtesy of the Wall Street Journal
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