Why Is Attitude An Important Fitness Level Factor To Consider
Why Is Attitude An Important Fitness Level Factor To Consider You’ve likely encountered the age-old wisdom that in many areas of life, attitude significantly outweighs ability. The maxim goes: success comprises 80% attitude and a mere 20% ability. While competence undoubtedly plays a role, it’s the right mental outlook that propels individuals to their fullest potential, regardless of their skill set.
In the realm of fitness, a negative attitude can be the undoing of even the most capable athletes and sports enthusiasts. It’s the reason why complacent teams can falter against seemingly average opponents.
In this article, we delve into the deeply personal domain of attitudes toward physical fitness and how they influence your journey towards your fitness objectives.
The Crucial Role of Attitudes in Physical Fitness
Our attitudes towards fitness, like many of our values and beliefs, are sculpted through our upbringing and life experiences. What we are taught, observe, and engage in shapes our mental approach to health and fitness. For instance:
- If a parent dissuaded you from climbing trees during your childhood, citing danger, you might never have ventured up a tree again.
- A past cycling accident that resulted in a broken leg might have curbed your enthusiasm for vigorous biking.
- If you perceive exercise as a chore, your enthusiasm for physical activity may remain lukewarm.
These lifelong fitness attitudes significantly impact our perception of physical activity, in turn affecting our health and overall quality of life.
The Impact of Physical Fitness Attitudes on Your Fitness Level
When was the last time you evaluated your attitude towards physical fitness?
A negative attitude about health and fitness often leads to less-than-optimal approaches to physical activity, resilience against setbacks, and motivation levels. This mirrors many other aspects of life. If you dislike your job, for instance, you’re less likely to stay motivated, more prone to taking time off, and less likely to excel in your role. The repercussions extend to job performance, job satisfaction, prospects for promotion, and earning potential.
Read More : What’s That Smell Food Fitness Family
Here’s how positive versus negative attitudes toward physical fitness can affect you:
1. Your Approach to Physical Activity:
With a positive attitude, you’re more inclined to adhere to your workout or exercise routine, less likely to skip sessions, and consequently more likely to achieve your fitness goals.
In contrast, when negativity creeps in, you may begin to lose the motivation to push yourself. You might even contemplate giving up altogether as the negativity erodes your results, causing you to question whether your efforts are worthwhile.
Two crucial questions to ponder:
- Do you believe that your fitness routine benefits you or is it a futile endeavor?
- Do you harbor the conviction that you can attain your fitness goals?
2. Bouncing Back from Setbacks:
Setbacks are an inherent part of any fitness journey, much like in life.
For instance, if you aspire to buy a house, you don’t abandon your dream after a single mortgage application rejection, do you? Similarly, a job rejection might briefly deflate you, but it doesn’t deter you from applying to other positions.
These setbacks are momentary. A positive attitude allows you to maintain or regain your composure, push forward, prepare better, and continue progressing.
Do you possess a positive attitude when it comes to recovering from fitness setbacks? Reflect on these questions:
- Can you maintain consistency even when things don’t go according to plan, or do you easily give up?
- If you sustain an injury, do you possess the discipline and patience required for a gradual recovery process while staying committed to your fitness goals?
3. Sustaining Discipline and Motivation:
Motivation serves as a cornerstone for reaching your fitness objectives. It empowers you to stay disciplined and on track, even when faced with challenges. Do you have the mental fortitude to enhance your physical fitness?
Ask yourself:
- Can you remain focused on your plan and goals, or do you become disheartened when immediate results elude you?
- Do you maintain optimism in the face of temporary setbacks, or do they drain your motivation?
Sustaining a positive outlook and motivation can be demanding. Our fitness attitudes are deeply ingrained, and outcomes tend to reinforce these attitudes. A negative mindset might lead to self-defeating thoughts like “I knew this wouldn’t work” after a setback, triggering a downward spiral that diminishes your efforts until you ultimately give up.
This is precisely why coaching is invaluable.
A proficient coach can help you maintain motivation, introduce subtle changes to your exercise regimen that yield substantial results, and help rewire a negative mindset. As you begin to witness positive changes, your motivation escalates, strengthening your discipline. Minor setbacks no longer dishearten you; instead, they motivate you to recover.
In summation, a positive attitude significantly enhances your likelihood of achieving new fitness levels, while a negative attitude can, at best, delay progress and, at worst, impede your journey.
Addressing Physical Fitness Attitudes at Reload
When we engage with a client for the first time, we invest significant effort in discussing their current activities, aspirations, and perceived limitations.
As Mallory Reilly, strength coach and occupational therapist at Reload PT, explains: “I want to know everything about how much you are currently walking, to how long you are sitting at work, too, if you get up to take breaks to play with your kids… All the things I ask – how you’re sleeping, eating, how long you’ve trained for – give me a better idea of where you’re coming from to give me a better idea of what direction to put you in. “We want to hear what you believe about yourself, and then we put you to the test to see if what you are capable of matches that belief.”
Read More : Which Of The Following Is Not A Short-Term Fitness Goal
We acknowledge that physical and mental health are intricately interconnected. Right from our initial interaction and throughout our partnership, we continuously assess your attitude towards physical fitness.
Our approach can be summarized as follows:
- Understanding your current capabilities.
- Identifying effective and positive ways to challenge you.
- Aligning your mental and physical health as you progress.
- Continuously repeating and refining this process.
Reflective positivity is the guiding principle of Reload coaching. Our focus is always on the client, addressing their physical requirements and objectives, as well as their mental disposition.
“As a coach at Reload, I care about all aspects of the person in front of me,” says Mallory. “Who you are physically, mentally, and spiritually. I want to know where you’re starting at and what is fun for you.
“One of the biggest questions I ask of people when they come through the door is, ‘Are you craving anything today?’ This helps me tailor a session to what you need, not only for the long term but right now.
“Regardless of the mindset a person brings, I adapt my approach accordingly. Sometimes, we may need to work on shifting your mindset.”
During a Reload session, expect a portion of our time together to involve discussing your day, current state, and infusing you with positive energy. Our role isn’t to implement drastic changes (those occur over time); instead, we meet you where you are. Whether you feel like chatting or simply want to dive into your weightlifting routine, we’re here to support you.
