Who came up with the term “workout” anyway? Frankly, I rarely see it work anything other than doubt and frustration.
The idea of having to exercise and workout are mainstream concepts that are actually quite bizarre when seen from a “natural” point of view. In other 
words, I highly doubt animals go about their business obsessing about having to work out or exercise. They just do what they do because it’s in their nature and are always living truthfully and in the moment.
Working out is unhealthy.
There is something fundamentally skewed with the idea of separating ourselves from nature with artificial environments and habits, consequently developing all manner of physical and psychological imbalances, then seeking out the ever-elusive-holy-grail set of artificial solutions with the hope of regaining natural balance.
Technology is great and I’m certainly thankful of all the benefits and amazing achievements that human cognition allows us, but modern people are losing something absolutely essential to wellbeing. Connection with Nature.
A paradigm shift is long overdue.
Exercise is a thing we know to be critical to health yet it’s also a thing that so many have come to loathe. It has even come to the point where those that do it to themselves consistently are awarded bragging rights and those that have the money to hire someone to do it to them are awarded a social status boost.
Maybe it’s just me, but this just seems backwards and wrong.
The human body was designed to move and flourish through motion and there is ALWAYS an inherent positively reinforcing element to do the things that are good for us. Problems only manifest when we disassociate from our natural rhythms and environment.
It’s time to re-evaluate the practice of exercise.
Function over form.
Form is really just a function achieved through exercise but it may or may not play a role in your personal motivation. Everyone is unique and therefore exercise and the respective approach to incorporate it should also be unique.
Function is the key. In other words, if your motivation is to catch the eye of the opposite sex or impress your peers with six pack abs and bulging biceps, then that’s the function your exercise should be geared towards. I have to warn you however, that the function of having an appealing form is not especially empowering nor does it provide enduring motivation.
Personally, movement is not only part of my profession, but one of the major avenues through which I express myself and a primary facilitator for my personal evolution/growth. I exercise to develop and maximize that potential.
Most people don’t work in fitness or health, so I might not be a good example. Let’s take a look at a few examples of other individuals with lots of variation in their approach and philosophy but all with successful outcomes in terms of achieving the desired goals and respecting their personal nature.
Case studies:
1. www.VictoriaVives.com
This is my wife. We share a lot of activities together but Victoria prefers to take a far less structured approach to exercise and relies on a highly connected sense of intuition. She stays incredibly fit and healthy by doing what she loves (Martial Arts, dance, hiking, gymnastics, stunts, acting, singing, etc.) without any kind of planning or program design whatsoever and sometimes taking on a sedentary lifestyle for months at a time. This is a prime example of going with the flow and following one’s nature.
2. www.IluminatedMind.net
Jonathan is a rebel with a passion and it shows in his choice of physical training and the way that he immerses himself in it. His approach is more structured, laser focused and very technical, yet still respecting the dynamic flow of nature with a resilient plyability.
3. www.QuestforBalance.com
Lisis (based on a recent post on her blog,) actually fits the perfect example of a function over form approach to fitness without any intentional exercise. Although the post focuses on diet and she makes clear her preference for a sedentary lifestyle, it’s also evident from one of the comments that her primary function is of caring for her family which, I’m sure, can be a very physically demanding task. Sure, Lisis is also conscious of form and the medical statistics that compose the modern idea of health, but it seems that what is truly important is having the ability to enjoy and nurture her son and husband — very powerful motivators in my book and also very much in line with Nature.
So, the real secret behind effective physical conditioning is knowing what you really want and what is important to you. The term “workout” should be banned from the fitness lexicon.
Don’t ever settle for anything less than what makes you happy.
I love the title of this post, it’s exactly how I’ve come to feel in regards to fitness and health.
I no longer see physical exercise as a chore or something that is simply required to not die. I think that’s the way a lot of people see it: “I’m doing this so I won’t die too early.”
Obviously there are some other motivators, like looking good and having a sense of well-being. But that’s about the limit most approaches to fitness get.
I know because that’s the way I approached fitness for a long time. Something that was simply mandatory, unavoidable and for the most part, not very pleasant.
My mindset shifted completely when I started changed how I exercise. I started practicing martial arts and found enjoyment through growing, learning and camaraderie. At about the same time I stopped lifting weights and started doing gymnastics. This helped me shift even more because my only motivation wasn’t just to lift heavier weight; with bodyweight and gymnastic exercise you are constantly progressing and gaining new skills.
Yusuf, a friend of mine wrote a thought provoking article on physical development that I found helpful in giving some context to my own fitness-oriented growth:
http://www.yusufclack.com/2009/12/26/297/
Thanks for writing about this Nhan, I think this is a paradigm shift that deeply needs to be furthered.
I went through the same process and totally agree about the skill development along with the social and personal growth aspect.
Life is about living now and living fully, as opposed to obsessing about things that haven’t happened or have long past.
Thanks for the link to Yusuf’s article. I’ll be checking it out.
I LOVE THIS! I could not agree with you more. A paradigm shift is, indeed, in order. Whenever I see how much my husband relishes the fitness that results from his pursuit of activities he loves (cycling, hiking, climbing, paddling, etc) I realize that the standard way we teach the importance of exercise makes it into a chore. The only way fitness at any level will become part of a person’s life is if they enjoy the process and are motivated by the right factors. By the way, your wife sounds like someone I would totally adore! I can’t wait to check out her site!!
Thanks for the support Lisis!
Sounds like both you and your husband have found the best way to approach fitness. Enjoying the process really is critical.
Learning from your example, being fit does not necessarily mean working out and being super active, but rather being adapted to your purpose and environment which it sounds that you are.
Hope you enjoy my wife’s website. She shares your passion for desserts, it can be a little scary
Thanks for so nicely explaining about how to connect to nature that helps to make one stay healthy.
Great article. Last spring I attended a lecture by Richard Louv who wrote Last Child in the Woods. He spoke of the need for children to connect with nature. Louv coined the phrase nature defecit disorder which refers to the reduced time children spend outdoors. He believes this trend results in a wide range of behavioral problems. Thanks for sharing this inspiring post!
That sounds about right to me! Not only is it important to spend time in nature, but also to follow our own nature. We are after all, part of nature.
Thank you! So refreshing to read. This principle applies to so many facets of life. We also ignore intuition when it comes to so many other areas of our life including eating, learning, socializing and ironically even spiritual practices that are supposed to cultivate intuition. Instead, we stick to a regimented, disciplined, procedural, soul crushing approach that can kill our sensitivity to natural growth and learning. We often end up fetishizing a glorified ideal that might be completely out of touch with what our body or mind wants to move through this moment. I would like to have read a few more points expressed, but that’s because I’m starved for point-blank readings like this. Thanks for sharing. @dustmapper
Thank you for the comment.
I completely agree with you. Everything is interconnected. This concept is at the core of whether a person flourishes or struggles through life. The level of sensitivity and attunement we have with those connections is a directly reflected by the results we have.
Thanks again for visiting!
I agree! This is why I do Nia and Continuum Movement – with pleasure. I love these activities – how I feel during and after. I look forward to going. There is a layering effect – which builds my energy and spirit, instead of a tearing-down effect common w/ so much exercise. They are a part of my personal growth and healing work – I encounter physical, emotional, mental AND spiritual limits in my movement practices which we sometimes like to call ‘the border patrol’! Having a cozy relationship with the border patrol is fab – you get really good at flowing past any limitation you encounter. In fact, the border patrol is a welcome part of the process because they become the portals through which you move into new territories of energy and consciousness. How many people even get that this is possible with a movement practice?!
Karen, that’s a really great metaphor, the border patrol
Pleasure in movement is precisely what we need and it really is a powerful practice in the exploration of self and expansion of consciousness.
It does take a significant shift in the conventional way of thinking to really internalize this, but I think we’ve come to a critical mass in modern society where the change is starting to take root out of sheer necessity.