My Learning as a Pseudo-fitness-freak

Like most of the late-20 somethings of this era, I have had my tryst with gym memberships and other well-marketed services, as well as dabbled with anything that had the words ‘health’ and ‘fitness’ mentioned in the same sentence.

The result, I have puny T.Rex-arms, a paunch (I still do hold my breath, whenever I am in the proximity of an attractive woman) and a sense of anxiety. Going behind quick fitness fixes to improve self-esteem has only deepened the complex.

But it made me, on a hindsight, explore this paradigm further. And thus was born the Health-Fitness Ladder (do suggest an alternate better-sounding terminology)— the 10-step process to gauge where we are, and more importantly, how we can improve our health & fitness.

The Health-Fitness Ladder

Level 1: Unexplored Anxiety — we all have been in this situation. Some of us still do. Individuals in this level are anxious most of the time, and so sit perpetually on the edge. The clutter only makes it more difficult for them to get to the root of the problem, which, invariably, would have a component of physical unworthiness to it.

Level 2: The Worst Feeling — individuals at this level would, at least, have identified the unworthiness of their physical being to be one of the reasons for low self-esteem. Though by doing so, choose to remain passive i.e. take solace in their retrospective ability.

Level 3: Don’t Care — the only good thing about individuals at this level, is that they are quite neutral with what they are. They may not have a great physique (for want of a better word), but this revelation, if it was one, does not really affect them.

Level 4: Guilt — the level where most of us fall into. Gym memberships, lot of changing-room selfies, a little sweat, not-enough-time to hit the gym on a regular basis…you get the point! Not to forget their uncanny ability in finding ways to avoid conversations related to health & fitness.

Level 5: Awareness — to me, one of the most critical levels in the ladder. The time when we realize the importance of sticking to a schedule, as well as instilling what our primary-school teachers had taught us a long time back, discipline.

Level 6: Discipline — a level as crucial as the previous one, but for an important difference. Lifetime members of this level never graduate. In fact, if you find yourself belonging to this small but covetous group, take a moment to congratulate yourself. A little jig might help, too.

Level 7: Shape— discipline leads to habit. Habit tightens your resolve…as well as your body. In other words, it increases the tactile sensations experienced by your body. In other words, shape - a strong visual cue, in itself, leading to positive reinforcement.

Level 8: Stamina — comes when you push yourself. And when you decide to go out of your comfort zone. One needs to be self-motivated in order to reach here. For, stamina is more a process than a result. And like willpower, it depletes, if misused.

Level 9: Mass — building mass (call it muscles, if you like) is more a responsibility than anything. There is no coming back from here. The changes experienced are permanent. Accumulate bulk and stop exercising, you will be left with more muscles (read ‘fat,’ over a period of time) to burn, again.

Level 10: Style — unlike other activities, physical fitness requires one to improve substance, before building style. Again, by style, I mean the capability to carry yourself with grace.

It goes without saying that one need not reach all the levels. You can decide to withdraw (which you may already be doing) at any level. But to maintain a semblance of what we call as the ‘healthy being’, one needs to travel at least until Levels 5.

Of course, reaching this is easier said than done, but it is easier done than dreamed (about).

But how should we reach Level 5? Watch out for the Part 2 of the article.