Exercise vs. Training

I like to exercise. It helps me remove myself from deadlines and obligations and just blow off some steam. It gets my blood pumping so I can feel energized for the rest of the day. Let’s be honest, nothing feels better than a hot shower to rid yourself of all the sweat, grime, and dirt that you accumulated after a grueling jog on the treadmill or a pick-up game. Exercise is great.

But other than that, mere exercise will not help you achieve  long term success. It sounds weird as it rolls off my tongue: “I need to stop exercising”, I tell my sister and she gives me a quizzical look. But it’s true. Unless you have a structured plan that is aimed at your specific goal, you will eventually hit a plateau. And this is regardless of the nature of your goal: weight loss, strength, endurance, etc.

Just like any other ambition that you have, physical fitness goals require planning. You wouldn’t enroll in classes at a university with the intent to obtain a degree, and then pick random classes that you think will add up to a diploma. No, you’d follow the degree plan and work your way up. It’s a long term goal. So why don’t we treat fitness goals as such?  I’ll tell you why: because fitness is often the last priority that we make. We don’t treat it as a long term goal because we aren’t sure if we will be able to commit to it. Conversely, most people who enroll in university do so with the intent to dedicate a few years to getting that diploma. We approach the two goals differently and we treat fitness goals as short term goals.  

So today I challenge you to think of your goals and how you are going to implement a plan of action. Are you trying to build muscle? Get stronger? Get faster? Get leaner? Build a backside? Are you exercising? Or are you training? Having a plan will not only make your journey more efficient, but also more rewarding.

Savannah Steamer, Intern