Get Fit and Find Yourself!

By Gym Staff | January 13, 2017

When you spend an hour or two at LA Fitness performing your cardio, strength and flexibility exercises, you’re likely thinking about quantifiable results. These include larger muscle mass (i.e., inches around your biceps), lower body weight (i.e., kilos off the scale), and perhaps number of calories burned.

But the physical fitness gains are just one part of the equation. When you become fitter with each gym session, you’re also finding your inner self! You can seek deeper insights into who and what you are, thus, enjoy your accomplishments and accept your flaws.

Many people even say that physical exercise allows them to deepen their emotional and spiritual connections with themselves and with others. Think of it as meditation in movement – and we all know the beneficial impact of meditation on overall well-being.

Fitness Demands Concentration in the Here and Now

Life can be such a challenge because of the people and problems that bombard us from all sides. No matter your age, economic status, and social standing, you will have your fair share of problems. You can get lose yourself, so to speak, amidst the hustle and bustle of your life, too.

But when you’re exercising, you’re likely not worrying about personal and professional issues, such as project deadlines, romantic issues, and family disagreements. Instead, you’re focused on the task at hand – jumping, pushing and pulling, and lifting. You’re not thinking beyond what needs to be done – finish the set, for example – in the here and now.

Fitness then becomes an effective way of coping with the negative things happening in your life. You know that exercising will not make these problems go away but you’re better able to cope with them afterwards. Your body and mind are more primed for approaching the issues, partly because you see them from a new perspective.

Your concentration in the here and now can sometimes lead to an epiphany – what exactly must be done to satisfy yourself first, for example. Since exercise can also be a solitary activity, you can block out the opinions of other people and just focus on your own voice. Over time, your sense of self will come back.

Fitness Demands Focus on Your Assets and Liabilities

Again, you’re likely affected by the opinions of others regarding your appearance, traits and accomplishments. You can become weighed down by these opinions, especially when the people around you are the negative types. You may even believe their negative opinions!

But when you’re exercising, you’re less focused on what they say and more focused on what you say. You will have a more objective view of your assets and liabilities, in the physical, mental and emotional sense.  You can take stock of what you have and what you need to work on.

In the process, you will be able to get back your sense of self. You can work on getting rid of your sense of envy about other people’s accomplishment while also working on your own accomplishments. Your body becomes your own, not like clay that should be molded according to the standards sets by this and that personal trainer, bodybuilder, or celebrity.

Fitness Can Help in Emotional Healing

When you have experienced trauma or tragedy, physical exercise can also help you heal from the emotional pain. This is due to several factors including the release of the so-called happy hormones that release feel-good feelings and reduce stress. The concentration demanded by exercise is also a factor in your healing – you will focus more on the movements, not on your mental anguish.

Of course, you may not want to engage in physical exercise because of lethargy, such as in depression. But when you take the first step, such as enrolling in a mild form of exercise like yoga or Pilates, you’re on your way. You will find the feel-good feelings to be addictive, which can become your motivation for getting off the bed and into your gym gear.

In time, you will find that your emotional pain has lessened, even said its goodbye. You may even find new friends in the gym who will become your new source of support, perhaps even one of them can become your lifetime partner.

Fitness Develops Self-Discipline

When you’re adrift in a sea of confusion, you will find physical exercise as a life boat, an anchor, and a haven. You may think that everything in your life has gone to the dogs but you will soon find that it isn’t true – you still have yourself and your exercises.

Keep in mind, too, that success in life including finding yourself demands self-discipline – and that’s exactly what regular exercise can encourage. You have to show up at the gym, perform your exercises with gusto, and do it all over again in the coming days so that you can see the results. You will be able to apply the same tenacity to other matters in your life.

In the end, you will find that the new self you discover is more to your liking, too – better, fitter, and healthier!