Being Skinny is NOT the Same as Being Fit

Why do I workout so much? And by “so much” I mean every single day. Actually, since I snuck into my mid-forties, I workout twice a day. Crazy, I know. But all the women in their 40’s out there understand exactly why I made that change. I do a good hard one hour workout in the morning and then a lighter, shorter workout later in the day.

Again, the question is WHY?

Is it so I can be skinny? Is it so I can pretend I’m young? Is it so I can achieve some  ideal weight? Maybe it’s so I can become a swimsuit model. Ha! Is it because I have nothing better to do all day? Is it because I’m a fitness-obsessive, overly driven, type A, nut-case who can’t just love herself at any size? (Those last 2 are a big NO, but some would disagree.)

Yep, I like my size and the fact that my body is lean and tone and looking pretty good for a mid-forties chick. I have no problem admitting that. Yep, I do have an ideal range of numbers that I like to see on the scale. (But that’s more of a sign post on my fitness journey, not the goal.) Sure, these are a couple of my motivations for my workouts. But they aren’t the MAIN reason or the major driving force behind my workouts. I have something much bigger that puts exercise, active living, working out, eating right, and fitness right smack in the middle of my life. Not just some fringe element that comes and goes depending on how convenient it is.

It’s the way it makes me feel. Sure I want to look good. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t matter. The thing I’m really after, though, is the energy I feel. It’s the spark. It’s the high. It’s the feeling of accomplishment and the sense of power. Those are my main motivations for staying fit. Getting my heart pumping, my muscles working, my lungs out of breath, and some sweat dripping just makes me feel so alive. When I see what I can do, activities I can accomplish, what I’m capable of in working out, I feel ready to take on anything in any area of life. The numbers on the scale and the size jeans I wear are just markers, indicators, and icing on the cake, actually.

Being skinny is not being fit. Don’t ever confuse the two. You can be skinny and yet have unhealthy heart, lungs, and be a mess inside. You can have weak muscles and joints and be unable to move and function well. I see it all the time. Skinny people who can’t move functionally, have no strength, no stamina, or endurance. Getting skinny is easy. Just don’t eat. Being skinny doesn’t make you fit though.

Don’t get me wrong, now. Being at a good weight is part of being fit. It’s just not the whole package. Being fit means being able to move in all the ways your body was made to move. You can walk, run, crawl, jump, climb, roll, squat, bend over, etc. It means you can lift, carry, pull, drag, or push objects. It means you can take care of yourself in every way. I carry my own groceries, tie my own shoes, move my own furniture, can put up a good fight to defend myself, and do all sorts of physical things on my own.

When you are fit, you can live out your dreams. You can do what you love – play a sport, enjoy the outdoors, take on new experiences, travel, etc without your body holding you back. There’s nothing worse than wanting to do something yet being so out of shape that you just can’t. On the other hand, there was no greater feeling, last year, than being invited to do full-day adventure race and being able to say Yes even though it was only 5 days away. Or being the oldest player on my women’s soccer team, yet the one who can run the entire game without a sub.

Our first-ever Adventure Race, last year in Palau.

A fit person is an asset not a liability in an emergency or difficult situation. Can you save yourself? Can you climb out a window, crawl out of a fire, run to avoid getting hit by a car? Can you help or rescue others? You don’t know when you are going to need to use your body in that way, but you should always be able to. I have the confidence to know that I can help myself and others in ugly situations.

I’m so hooked on the way being active, fit, strong and healthy makes me feel. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. That’s why it’s a part of my everyday life, no matter where I go – on vacation or work travel -  or what I have to rearrange or adjust to fit it in. Feeling so alive and so capable is amazing and something everyone can have. Just start eating healthy and working out. You’ll love it.