Why Health and Fitness Really Matter

Here are some definitions of health and fitness to pay attention to. Please read carefully.

Health: Is “a state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.” (1)

Fitness: The condition of being physically fit. Dan John describes fitness as the ability to do the task. (2)

It’s simple to tell if you’re healthy because you’re either sick in the head or body, and hopefully not both. Fitness depends on the individual and their station in life. The athlete relies on their fitness for a living and makes less money if they underperform. For people like you and me, who might not be as gifted, not blowing out your back after a hard day’s work is the definition of being fit.

Health and fitness matter if you want a better quality and quantity of life, but there is another reason, besides the bleeding obvious, why it matters, which we will explore here.

Did You Notice The Definition Of Health?

When considering your health or others, you probably judge a book by its cover. Well, at least I do. Let’s take bodybuilders as an example. They look great on stage, have low body fat, have big muscles, etc. They worked very hard to get there, but some will collapse in a heap when they get off stage.

Why?

They have taken some unhealthy means to get in that shape.

Although they’re a picture of health in that snapshot moment on stage, they are physically and mentally tapped out. On the other hand, I regard overweight people as NOT the picture of health, and unhealthy, like this girl in the video. However, she is an excellent dancer, and according to Dan John’s fitness definition, she is up for the task.

Health and fitness are different strokes for different folks, and you should never judge a book by its cover.

Did you brush over something in the health definition? I did for the longest time until now. I’ve always focused on mental and physical health, but the definition mentions social well-being. My friend and colleague Shane Trotter introduced me to the term social fitness in his banger of a Substack.

Shane mentions that Derek Thompson explored the dramatic decline of American social life in the smartphone era.

We are withdrawing from having a social life in droves, and a large part of this is due to our smartphones and online activities. I’m as guilty of this as anyone because most of my business is online. At the end of my online day, I’m tapped out and even have difficulty listening to my wife, who is my world. Well, that is my excuse, and I’m sticking by it.  

However, my social fitness needs some work.

Why Health And Fitness Matter

I haven’t trained in a commercial gym for almost eight years, and for the most part, I don’t miss it, except for the camaraderie. Being in a room with like-minded individuals helped me get better. Also, I have taught many group exercise classes, and I miss the sense of community I worked hard to establish in these groups.

Even people zoned in on their workouts, blasting music in their ears, could choose to work out at home. But they come to the gym, ignore everyone, and get into it.

Are you starting to get the picture?

My colleague Jon Goodman, author of several books, runs an online mentorship for personal trainers and said this in his recent email newsletter.

“Everybody wants to be connected, but few take the time to connect. Therefore, there’s tremendous value in being the one doing the connecting.”

We crave connection; while connecting with others online is excellent, nothing replaces in-person connection.

Like the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost being sides of the same coin, it’s the same for improved health. It incorporates the physical, the mental, and the social in one fantastic package.

Why does health and fitness really matter?

Improved fitness allows you to connect better with your body and others because of the physical and health benefits. Although the physical and mental aspects are essential, please don’t forget about your social fitness.

I won’t if you won’t.

Wrapping Up

Now that I’m aware of it, I will try to improve my social well-being through fitness and being more active in my community. Oh, and I should also listen to my wife more often.