Tag Archives: goals

The Only Fitness Goal: Take Care of My Crap

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The fitness industry always promotes goals. The bikini body. The final score. Achieving “results” constantly invokes finite competition. As if one day we cross a finish line, arrive at perfection, and no longer need to exercise. No such luck. I want to win this game: Make it to 95 years old. Wake up energized. Walk to the bathroom. Squat on the toilet. Take a triumphant poop. Wipe myself. Stand up. Wash my hands. Head out into a productive day. Actually, that is pretty much Continue reading →

(Re)Defining Functional Fitness

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What does the nebulous buzzword “functional fitness” mean?  It’s volleyed around in debates about what exercises have real-life application and what is completely frivolous. Many fitness professionals assert that fitness functions to achieve  “results.” Sometime in the future, you could achieve weight loss, lower your blood pressure, or build strong muscles. I propose reverse engineering instead. Start by asking, what do those results represent?  If you lost weight, would you feel hot? If your blood pressure decreased would you feel Continue reading →

Resolutions: Fitness Goals vs. Yogic Intentions

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The new year offers a renewed promise for healthier living. How do we go about change?  With one sneaker in the gym and a bare foot in the yoga studio, I observe two different approaches to self improvement. Fitness folks focus on outcomes like losing 15 lbs. or running a marathon. Goals provide measurable benchmarks and motivate us as architects of our future. Yogis set an intention called a sankulpa. Examples include, “I choose healthy foods” or  “I exercise my Continue reading →