Fitness is about training the mind just as much as the body.

How a quote from the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger can impact our idea of what fitness really is.

"The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character."

As a fitness professional, coach and enthusiast, I have begun to discover something about this quote, which to me, touches on the spiritual nature of total fitness.

Fitness is a journey, and a journey is not meant to be something easy or something quick. When I set out on my fitness journey, I started with a simple goal: keep going for at least a year before I start expecting gains. I did this for two reasons: the first is to challenge myself to establish consistency over the course of time, and the second is to push myself beyond my instant gratification mentality. Without noticing it, I chose to use fitness to begin the process of altering my mental state.

"build a strong character..." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Curb your expectations, reach your goals.

It was not that long ago that many of the amenities we enjoy today did not exist. People survived on the laborious tasks of farming and hunting. Fitness was a part of many people's lives, whether they knew it or not. Today's world is just not the same. Today, people are more sedentary than ever before. People survive by sitting in chairs, then they go home and sit on the couch.

For these reasons, it is more important than ever to explore the meaning of Arnold's words. The resistance we give ourselves is more important than that of the resistance many corporate employees have been conditioned to absorb. We must now feel that resistance. It is a matter of life and death. The burn is necessary for many people to feel alive!

To fight resistance is a part of human nature. We cannot experience this feeling when we are brown-nosing our way up the corporate ladder.

Fitness is about the mind

Fitness is the best way to train the mind to act as the main control center of the body. After all, it forces the two to work in unison. We cannot allow the corporate livelihood to rob us of that basic humanity.

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