How exactly do you define inspiration?
The Online Dictionary defines it as:
- arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
- a product of your creative thinking and work
- a sudden intuition as part of solving a problem
- arousing to a particular emotion or action
I think we can all agree that it can be easy to fall into the familiar routine of everyday life, just trying to get through your day and hoping for the best. And often, your true inspiration gets lost along the way. Thing is, we all need that spark to keep us going here and there, at different times, for different reasons and at different levels. Sure, there is always that minimum little flame burning somewhere inside, keeping you motivated through your tasks. Otherwise you wouldn’t even get out of bed each morning! Still, the larger, hit-you-over-the-head kind of inspiration needs to show itself from time to time to help ease us out of those naturally occurring slumps.
Would it be fair to say then that the same principal applies to your workouts?
We all have different reasons for signing that initial membership contract in the gym. Over time, that initial inspiration that got us repeatedly to the gym might change and grow. But on days where you feel like you just don’t give a hoot, and you can’t for the life of you think why you’re crazy enough to do something like CrossFit, it pays to look back.
In writing this, I had to dig around a bit in trying to recall my initial inspiration for getting started on my own lasting path to real fitness. I can admit it: five years ago, getting fit for me was completely motivated by the fact that I wanted to control my body weight. Plain and simple. Yet, as I gradually reached my initial goals, I began to set new ones, more lofty and challenging. I continually surprised myself with my own success, which only drove me onward to learn and do more. Eventually, my whole modus operandi for fitness had shifted.
…And this is what eventually brought me to CrossFit. Although my daily/weekly/monthly inspiration still ebbs and flows depending on what is happening in my life, how my body is holding up pain-wise, what videos I’ve watched and conversations I’ve had, and where my energy falls on a particular day, I now pursue fitness for the same identifiable reasons.
I want to live a long and healthy life. I want my body to function like a well-oiled machine; strong heart, strong lungs, strong limbs, strong mind. I want to open up doors for myself, and be able to do and see and try things that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do and see and try. I want to be among like-minded people. I want to be healthy; not only to outward appearances, but on the inside as well. I want to hold myself accountable for what I do to my body and put into my body. I want to learn how to push myself further, through hurt and pain and when things feel impossible. I want to taste the real satisfaction that comes from success following endless hard work. I want to live my life the best way that I know how.
What inspires YOU to pursue personal fitness? Share your motivators to the comments section, and you might just succeed in inspiring someone else!
Today’s Workout
Buy-in: dynamic warmup led by coach (10min)
WOD: “Helen”
This is a CLASSIC… if you haven’t done it yet, get ready cause it’s got a lot of history – check out James Fitzgerald (OPT)’s sub 7 effort (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5gL9IIzbsY&feature=related).
Rx – 3 rounds for time of:
- 400m run
- 21 kettlebell swings (35/55)
- 12 pullups
Zone 3 – scale kettlebell weight to 20/40-45
Zone 2 – scale kettlebell as needed, assisted pullups
Zone 1 – scale as needed
Cash-Out: record your scores on MFT!
