Given the weekend that's in it, I thought I would take the time to discuss some principles that we can take from religion and apply to the health and fitness world. In particular, how can we use the concept of "belief" and "sacrifice" to get fitter, stronger, and healthier? Don't worry, you can consider yourself an atheist and still benefit from this discussion, I promise.
One of the benefits of religion is that beliefs are manifest through action. What you believe is not as important as how those beliefs are acted upon, or at least that would be the ideal (I'm not here to argue about how/if people adhere to their religious doctrines, or how those doctrines vary...).
Would the story of Jesus be compelling if all one was told was what he believed? No, of course not, as words mean nothing without action.
When we talk about health and fitness, it's easy to get caught up in trying to learn more information, but to what end?
Ultimately, your "beliefs" about training and nutrition should be apparent in your actions. If you believe that a diet low in processed junk food is most healthful, but you eat those foods at every meal, then your beliefs mean nothing. You have not made the sacrifice necessary to demonstrate or prove why those beliefs are worth holding.
Similarly, if you hold the belief that training for both strength and cardiorespiratory fitness is important for health, that should be manifest in your actions. Your belief means nothing if you do not train to get stronger and fitter every day (okay, not necessarily every day, but certainly most!).
Importantly, being fit, lean and healthy is the exception, not the rule. In the modern world, every force pushes you in the opposite direction. Therefore, if you believe that these are ideals worth chasing, you will need to follow that up with a considerable amount of sacrifice. The extent of your sacrifice will vary, but again, if you believe, then you must demonstrate that through your sacrifice.
These are not modern ideas, nor are they ancient ideas. In James Clear's Atomic Habits, he makes the case for behaviour change through your identity. For example, "people like me train every day, it's who I am, so why would I not train?". This lens is quite similar to the
lens of the religious individual; you do not consider every action day to day with pros, cons, etc., as most of your actions are simply part of your identity.
My message here is very simple: act out what you believe. Be a walking example of what you believe to be the best way to live. If you believe that being strong, fit, and lean is an ideal, then you must act that out, which will involve sacrifice. Your beliefs are your beliefs, so if you don't believe that, then that's cool too...
Until next time... Keep it 2ez.
