13 Things Physically Fit People Don’t Do

[Title and idea borrowed with respect from Amy Morin and her amazing article and book, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”]

Physically fit people aren’t unicorns. They are everyday people just like you and me. They do possess a certain amount of qualities and skills that allow them to maintain their physique and energy. Let’s learn from these qualities so that we all might accomplish our fitness goals.

1. They don’t compare themselves to others.

Physically fit people don’t waste time in comparison-mode. They understand that this journey is their own and they take steps to reach their goals. Comparison is the thief of joy and there is no WIN in comparison.

2. They don’t leave meals to chance.

They don’t mess around with what goes into their bodies. Whether it’s counting macros, calories, eating whole foods, or time restricted feeding; they don’t go with the crowd on a whim to eat burgers at IHOB. Their meals are planned, daily, if not weekly.

3. They don’t schedule many off days.

Even if they don’t “train”, they are usually doing something active. Off days happen upon them. They understand that “off days” can happen unexpectedly, so they look forward to training and working out every day they can.

4. They don’t sit on their butt all day after they worked out.

Physically fit people enjoy moving. They love the energy they can create by moving their bodies. They go on walks, bike rides, kayak trips; all after they perform their programmed workout for the day. They don’t overlook NEAT (energy expended outside of sleeping, eating, and working out), and don’t waste time sitting on the couch binging Netflix.

5. They don’t expect immediate results.

The more physically fit you become, the harder it is to see changes in your energy and fitness levels. Physically fit people don’t expect short term success, they play the long game and keep their head down until they reach their goals.

6. They don’t rely on motivation.

Physically fit people act their way into being motivated. Discipline is ingrained into their lives through their workouts and meal planning. If they waited to be motivated to workout, they might still be in bed.

7. They don’t let one bad choice turn into many bad choices.

They might have one bad meal or miss one workout, but they don’t let that turn into a weekend or a week of poor choices. They have the awareness to get back on track. They don’t let themselves go off the rails.

8. They don’t take sleep lightly.

Physically fit people understand the role sleep plays on their recovery. They know that proper sleep can help them train hard tomorrow, and poor sleep can hinder their results. They do everything they can to sleep well.

9. They don’t believe there is only one way to get what they want.

They don’t rely on one system to get them to their fitness goals. They experiment. They test. They try to figure out what works best for them and realize that that might change over time. They do this with everything from nutrition to training to recovery.

10. They don’t eat much (if any) processed food.

You can argue about the Twinkie diet all you want, but the most physically fit people don’t eat many processed foods. They treat their bodies as a temple and feed it nutritious and filling whole foods. To be able to maintain high energy levels, you must feed yourself high quality foods.

11. They don’t waste time on trivial tasks.

Physically fit people focus on what will get them the results they desire. They won’t spend an hour on mobility work or 45 minutes doing plyometrics. They focus on the few things that matter and go all in on those.

12. They don’t train softly.

Once physically fit people find what they want to focus on, they go hard! They aren’t walking into the gym to get a sweat on, they are walking in to do damage and train with a purpose. They push the weight, the reps, the time as much as they can to get the most out of their workouts.

13. They don’t live meaningless lives.

The drive that physically fit people have is a calling to them. It gives them meaning and purpose. It helps create community for them and they bring others along on the ride. Being physically fit, having high energy, and creating a discipline in your life propels you to levels you never knew existed.

CALL TO ACTION

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