Finding Your Purpose in Fitness
By Morgan Harmon
Spring 2023
I’m sure we have all been victims of the gym vs couch fight. Why go to the gym when you can sit at home and watch tv? You want to go to the gym but just don’t feel like it, and would rather scroll on TikTok. Or sometimes, the gym just feels like a chore. In the back of your mind, you want to go to the gym, but you cannot find an appealing reason to get up and go.
To show up for yourself every day, you need to find your why or your purpose in fitness. Having a purpose will help you reach your goals because you are truly invested in them. Your goals won’t feel like work, a chore, or a looming task to check off your to-do list. Your sense of purpose provides stability and direction in your life. This applies to work, school, athletics, personal goals, and fitness. If you find yourself falling off track or forgetting why you want to do the things you do, you can refer to your why. In your fitness journey specifically, you need to understand why you want to be in the gym truthfully. Without a sense of meaning attached to your gym goals, you will not stay consistent and motivated. It’s easy to get influenced by TikTokers and Instagram reels but if you are not personally invested in your goals, you will feel less motivated and fall off track more easily. Keep reading to learn how to find your fitness purpose.
1. Create a goal unrelated to aesthetics
When creating fitness goals, try to stay away from numbers on a scale and how you want to look physically. We are all guilty of creating goals like, “I want to lose 50 pounds” or “I want to look like the Instagram models” but truthfully what does that even mean? When you lose 50 pounds or achieve the IG model look what will you do next, or is the fitness journey over? Even worse, if you don’t achieve those goals, you will feel unmotivated and like a failure. I asked Shay Pascale, a fitness enthusiast, certified nutrition coach, and founder of The Body Bulletin Inc., about her fitness journey and she said, “It was originally just to look good but constantly chasing the aesthetic goal really sent me down a negative path mentally. I never felt satisfied with how I looked so when I started to look at metrics such as - how much weight can I lift, how strong can I get, and how much better can I do than my previous sets, it started to be more fun.”
Two things to focus on when trying to create goals unrelated to aesthetics are intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivation stems from internal or personal reasons. External motivators stem from outside factors. You have no personal connection to your goals and are expecting something (fame, praise, recognition) in return. Creating a goal fueled by intrinsic motivation means you ask yourself, what goals do you want to achieve and why do you want that? Your reason why will serve a purpose to you, and you will not be seeking outside incentives. For example, you want to go to the gym at 7 am 3x a week and do the treadmill for 30 mins... Why? you enjoy walking on the treadmill, it’s very calming and helps you start your day peacefully. This fitness goal has nothing to do with losing weight or building the perfect body but more importantly how the gym can serve a purpose to you.
2. Have an accountability partner
Next, you want to have an accountability partner with alike goals, values, and morals to yourself. Your accountability partner is there to not only keep you on track but you both will serve as a reminder of why you are on this journey. Having someone with similar goals will motivate you both to show up for one another continuously. If your goal is to run every day for the runners high but your partner is to run to lose weight, you will face some friction. You will always get your runners high with each outing, but after weeks go by and the weight has not shed off for your partner you may be in search of a new accountability partner. I asked Tj Fullilove, a student at Carroll University and a member of the men's track and field team, how having a gym partner aids in his fitness journey, and he said, “If you are the only one in your friend group who exercises, you will stop or be inconsistent. Finding a partner, I could share my goals with – and have similar goals with- helped me stay motivated, and feel a sense of community, and friendship.” It’s hard to show up for yourself 365 days a year but having a person on the same journey as you will make it easier.
3. Enjoy the process
Remember you need to find an activity you love. If there is no passion behind what you are doing, you will not enjoy it. Instead of forcing yourself to be a gym rat or run 15 miles a day, find what works for you. Just because powerlifting is enjoyable for your friend does not mean you will have fun with the same exercise. There are a million different options to start your fitness journey. You could try Zumba, hip-hop fit, guided classes, cycling, hiking, swimming, or even team sports. According to an article published by The Help Guide, when you enjoy your workouts, it acts as a stress reliever and helps boost your mood, so you experience decreased levels of depression. If you are doing a fitness activity you love, you look at it as beneficial and worthwhile to your life. You would be more likely to continue to engage in the activity because it serves a positive purpose in your life. Cam Milord, a recent graduate of North Central College, spoke with me about what helps her continue her fitness journey, and she said, “My mood after working out makes me feel accomplished and like I could conquer the world. I have the best playlist set up, and it always feels like a party. I just zone out and have a great time while I’m there.” Enjoying your workouts is an integral part of being committed to fitness and your purpose. Finding the regimen that works for you helps you mold fitness into being part of your daily life.
“If you are doing a fitness activity you love, you look at it as beneficial and worthwhile to your life. You would be more likely to continue to engage in the activity because it serves a positive purpose in your life.”
4. Think positively
Your thoughts and feelings toward the gym should align with your purpose of being there. Don’t think about the gym as an unwanted chore, instead, try to focus on when was the last time you had fun at the gym or how amazing you felt after you completed your last session. In the Time article, ‘How to Have Fun Exercising,’ they say when you associate a favorable memory with the gym and with exercising you will feel a stronger drive to go to the gym. Overall, thinking positively about a task will not only help in the gym but also spill over into personal and professional goals. Staying hopeful and positive help in making better life decisions, and long-term goals. Essentially being optimistic instead of pessimistic. Look at your fitness journey as if the glass is half full. Give yourself constructive criticism when you don’t reach a goal you set for yourself. Instead of feeling guilty, you did not make it to the gym 3x a week for your mental health walks, give yourself gratitude for making it 2 out of the 3 days and still prioritizing your mental health.
5. Let your purpose grow with you
It’s important to understand that your purpose will change throughout your life. As you grow older and have different life experiences your ‘why’ will change. It may start as being a way for you to unplug from school and work, transition into getting runners high, or just a fun hobby, then later serve as a way for you to improve your cardio so you can keep up with your pets or kids. Continuing to align your purpose with your morals and values will allow you an infinite amount of personal growth and also provide you with discipline to keep you motivated with the gym. When speaking to Marisa Harid, an Olympic trials marathoner, about how she found her why and if it changed, she said, “Sure, my life has changed a lot since I started running but my 'why' hasn't changed... the list of reasons have just gotten longer!” Going from being an Olympic trial runner to being a mom and business owner, she has gained new intrinsic motivation to fuel her purpose. Recognizing the power you have and using that to become a better version of yourself will only help your motivation and discipline on your fitness journey in the long run.
I’m sure it is easier said than done, but I hope after reading that it is not as intimidating to find your purpose in fitness. Sit down with yourself and try to answer the question of having an intrinsic motivator. Figure out how fitness can serve a purpose in your life, then find someone who is on the same path as you. Your community will be everything and don’t forget to make it fun. Incorporating fitness into your life does not have to be a challenging task, enjoy this journey of personal growth you are about to embark on.
Morgan is a senior at North Central College graduating in May 2023. She is majoring in sociology with a minor in marketing. Morgan is a former student-athlete and was a member of the women's track and field team during her freshman - junior years of college. Now she is involved with groups on campus such as Cardinal First, a group serving first-generation college students, the Black Student Association, and the Black Business Student Association. She is interested in consumer insights, brand marketing, and DEI. She currently has an internship in downtown Chicago as a quantitative market researcher. Upon graduation, she hopes she go into a full-time role as a marketing coordinator with an emphasis on DEI in marketing.