There is a price you must pay if you want to be fit. I don’t mean the cost of gym fees, fitness clothing, or nutritional supplements. I mean a personal price in terms of time, effort, and actions. It will cost something for every step you take towards being fit. It cost you in workouts completed and quality meals consumed. Whether you want to lose 30 pounds, gain an inch on your biceps, increase your bench press, lower your resting heart rate, or reduce your dress size, there is a price you must pay to make it happen.
Depending on your goals, it may cost 50 workouts and 250 quality meals to reach them. It may cost 1000 workouts and 5000 meals. The price will vary with the goal. It can also vary with the person. Some will find it easier and less expensive than others. Sometimes the cost will be missing a social outing that you wanted to attend. It might be avoiding those fresh baked cookies that everyone else is enjoying. It may require making an effort to keep yourself properly motivated or educated. But make no mistake, there will be a cost!
The good news is that the price you pay is an investment you are making in yourself. Just like putting money into your 401K, what you put into yourself through fitness will be there for you to take advantage of later. Beyond just getting closer to your goals, you will be giving yourself a number of valuable gifts. You will get more energy, greater longevity, reduced stress, better health, improved appearance, etc. The fitness investment you make now can pay huge dividends later. By the same token, if you don’t put anything in, there will be only an empty account when you need it the most.
Once again, not everyone’s cost will be the same. This is a harsh reality. The price you have to be pay may be greater than someone else’s to get the same things. That’s just how life is sometimes. Of course, the value you receive through paying that higher price can easily be greater as well. It’s your effort that leads to your rewards. Don’t focus on anyone’s path but your own. Be willing to pay your own way. No one can do this for you, but no one can stop you either.
Also remember, the negative things you do relative to your goals can cancel out the good things. Eating that pizza may erase some of the benefits of your good meals. Not getting enough sleep can reduce the value of your workouts. Taking too much time off keeps you spinning your wheels instead of progressing. The cost and the benefits are both cumulative and the price needs to be paid regularly.
The great thing is, paying the price isn’t hard. It can actually be a lot of fun and something you look forward to. Just understand that it is a reality if you want to reach your goals. You can try to shortcut it. But if you never learn how to make those payments, you’ll ultimately run out of ways to avoid the cost of being fit and be right back where you started.
Paying the price of fitness is something to embrace and be proud of. When you know that the goals you reached cost you hundreds of hours, meals, and workouts, you’ll have pride and appreciation for what you’ve done that can’t be taken away by anyone and anything.
Most things of value have a cost. Someone will have to pay the price. Fitness is a gift that you buy for yourself with effort, determination, and commitment. It may seem expensive at first, but paid over time you’ll find it to be well within your budget. You’ll also that find its ultimate value is priceless.
Photo: Terry Goodlad Model: Monica Brant
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