It was only when I was dealing with the Covid crisis that I understood that fitness is a resource. Far from being a happy insight, I only realized it was a resource because I was rapidly running out of it. It was sort of like realizing your car runs on gasoline because the Low Gas Light came on; somewhat less than an ideal situation.
Great time to start working out, yes? Well. Yes and No. Exercise damages your body initially, it’s the recovery that builds you back stronger. Sticking with the analogy, that’s like your gas light coming on while you were being chased. Yeah, you need to stop and fill up. Yeah, the people chasing you are going to catch up while you do that. Keep going without filling up and you will run out and your pursuers catch up.
Unlike other resources, you cannot panic buy (or obtain by other means) fitness at the last minute. By the time you realize you need more of it, then it’s probably too late. Fielding three kids, one an infant, while your wife struggles to breathe is not a time where you get to institute an exercise routine. You’ve got what you brought.
Thankfully, my reserve saw me through. Got away from the pursuers before the car ran out. In that situation, you immediately start looking for a gas station. What does that mean in the real world? It means instituting a healthier lifestyle that will allow you to build up an adequate reserve of fitness for your next test. Whether that test is trying to get out of a warzone, fighting to defend your family, or staying fit enough you can take your grandkids fishing, the test is coming. Now is the time to build your reserve.
In this article I’m going to go over mistakes I’ve made in thinking about fitness, mistakes I’ve made in training, and will end with resources and principles that I think will help you get where you want to be. All the normal caveats apply, this is not medical advice, I am not a doctor, consult your doctor to make sure you’re putting in place a good exercise regimen for you and your situation. Depending on where your health is your starting point and path forward may be different but we all have a path forward. We need to make progress on it. Go talk to your doctor and get working on progress.
My wandering path to fitness
When I was a teenager my older brother gave me a weightlifting book and I started following it. No real thought beyond “here’s the routine, I follow it”. Fast forward a few years and I paid for a body composition analysis. I got my numbers and I asked the coach who administered it if I was fit. He kind of sagged in his chair, shrugged, and asked: “What’s fit?”
I didn’t know what to say. I don’t remember what I did say. What I realized afterward…