Well, do you consider yourself to be a couch potato or a stamina junky?
What's your view and approach to fitness?
For some, born anytime up to early or mid-70's enjoyed very active lives, from home life, school life and social life; most incorporated a considerable amount of exercise in some form or other. The times were such that the majority of children walked or cycled to school, at worst, caught the school bus. At school there was an active and very competitive sports curriculum which included local and national schools competitions, conducted annually. At school you were actively encouraged to participate in the school activities, with little tolerance if you did not. Sports within the educational setting also delivered a sense of pride and belonging with the accolades one would gain in their sporting achievements, all in displays for all to view. If one was not academically thriving at least there was the opportunity of achievement through sporting activities and the sporting achievers usually also held a respected and high profile within their peer groups.
Thinking back now, about eating; it was something you had to do when you were hungry and quite often to break away for lunch, dinner or tea was more of an inconvenience than anything else. I remember always being busy so the thought of food really did not factor high in my agenda throughout my childhood and adolescence. Well, that is how it was in my household and peer group. Sport and activity was part of our daily existence and a quick visual scan in any social setting would view people in the weight range of underweight or idea the everyday obesity sightings of today was simple not on our landscape and in all honesty social tolerance was a very unforgiving one when confronted with people in the overweight category.
Does an active sporting life when you are young, influence your view on fitness and health as you grow into adulthood and maturity? Maybe not for all? For me, most definitely yes! Some consider a person has an additional edge to them from the familiarity of achieving - more focused and driven in many ways. However, not for all, some people are totally driven in their own embedded sense of the need to achieve without being motivated through sport or fitness.
For me personally, the times when I have allowed myself to relax on my personal drive to achieve and my fitness drive, is when hitting life low points, losing self-motivation and purpose; so fitness, be it physical, mental, or spiritual is part of a daily lifestyle routine that I embrace and engage in. It is easy for me to recall instantly the amazing sense of value and fulfilment when hitting that new school record in a field event, or won that netball game or topped the league in the hockey finals. As an adult, the same jubilation applies when achieving the first 5k run, 10k run then 21k run - it's a feeling that is hard to beat and the impact on one’s mind afterwards can stay with them for a good while after. Thinking on it now in writing this and in reflection, a trend unfolds, as the impact of achievement of a single activity wears down, a new challenge is found for renewed focus and the uplift that delivers to the high zones of adrenaline, new focus and new sense of achievement. This has transferred itself into real life actions. The need for new projects, new goals to set, new places to travel, new causes to help; it can be an integral part of one’s personal make-up and one that can be formed from one’s early years of achieving through activities that were within their control and abilities.
What is it for you?
What's your view and approach to fitness?
For some, born anytime up to early or mid-70's enjoyed very active lives, from home life, school life and social life; most incorporated a considerable amount of exercise in some form or other. The times were such that the majority of children walked or cycled to school, at worst, caught the school bus. At school there was an active and very competitive sports curriculum which included local and national schools competitions, conducted annually. At school you were actively encouraged to participate in the school activities, with little tolerance if you did not. Sports within the educational setting also delivered a sense of pride and belonging with the accolades one would gain in their sporting achievements, all in displays for all to view. If one was not academically thriving at least there was the opportunity of achievement through sporting activities and the sporting achievers usually also held a respected and high profile within their peer groups.
Thinking back now, about eating; it was something you had to do when you were hungry and quite often to break away for lunch, dinner or tea was more of an inconvenience than anything else. I remember always being busy so the thought of food really did not factor high in my agenda throughout my childhood and adolescence. Well, that is how it was in my household and peer group. Sport and activity was part of our daily existence and a quick visual scan in any social setting would view people in the weight range of underweight or idea the everyday obesity sightings of today was simple not on our landscape and in all honesty social tolerance was a very unforgiving one when confronted with people in the overweight category.
Does an active sporting life when you are young, influence your view on fitness and health as you grow into adulthood and maturity? Maybe not for all? For me, most definitely yes! Some consider a person has an additional edge to them from the familiarity of achieving - more focused and driven in many ways. However, not for all, some people are totally driven in their own embedded sense of the need to achieve without being motivated through sport or fitness.
For me personally, the times when I have allowed myself to relax on my personal drive to achieve and my fitness drive, is when hitting life low points, losing self-motivation and purpose; so fitness, be it physical, mental, or spiritual is part of a daily lifestyle routine that I embrace and engage in. It is easy for me to recall instantly the amazing sense of value and fulfilment when hitting that new school record in a field event, or won that netball game or topped the league in the hockey finals. As an adult, the same jubilation applies when achieving the first 5k run, 10k run then 21k run - it's a feeling that is hard to beat and the impact on one’s mind afterwards can stay with them for a good while after. Thinking on it now in writing this and in reflection, a trend unfolds, as the impact of achievement of a single activity wears down, a new challenge is found for renewed focus and the uplift that delivers to the high zones of adrenaline, new focus and new sense of achievement. This has transferred itself into real life actions. The need for new projects, new goals to set, new places to travel, new causes to help; it can be an integral part of one’s personal make-up and one that can be formed from one’s early years of achieving through activities that were within their control and abilities.
What is it for you?
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