Has anyone ever asked you WHY you workout? Have you ever asked yourself why you workout? It may seem like a weird question to ask, especially if you’ve been active for a long time; but on those really tough days, it’s sometimes easier to show up or complete a workout when the workout has purpose. And the purpose can change on a weekly basis as well. Maybe you had a particularly emotionally draining week, and your WHY is simply to show up so that you’re dedicating a few hours a week to yourself. Maybe you’re training for something, and your goal is to get stronger, faster, have better endurance, or to hit a benchmark.
For the most part, humans function better when they have a path, an idea of where they’re going, or a goal to meet. This can be broken down to the smallest aspects of our daily lives…for instance, getting to work on time, having a healthy lunch, reading to the kids before bed…they’re all small goals that need to be met to help us get to the bigger WHY – getting the promotion at work, living a healthier life, having a strong bond with your children.
The same is very true for fitness – if your “Why am I doing this?” is to get faster, then you’re going to need to push harder during sprints, or be sure your squats are perfect. If your “Why?” is to get stronger, then you’re going to push yourself to use the heavier weight and really nail your form.
It doesn’t really matter to the world what your WHY is, but sometimes having answering that question will help you gain a little more satisfaction from your workouts, gain a little self perspective, and really celebrate your successes along the way.