Greg Glassman, the man who created and branded this whole sport of fitness we call CrossFit, wrote an influential article in CrossFit Journal (http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf) almost 15 years ago called “What is Fitness.” In this article, Glassman first explained the sickness, wellness, fitness continuum, which is an integral component of CrossFit’s definition of fitness and health. The continuum places fitness and sickness on opposite ends of the spectrum with “wellness” in the middle. Some attributes that would place someone at the center of the continuum would be a normal/healthy blood pressure, body fat percentage, measures of bone density, cholesterol and triglycerides. Fitness, according to this model, is a state of “super-wellness,” a hedge against sickness, that is classified by increased physical output and better-than-average readings of physical markers.
I remember learning about this model in my CrossFit Level 1 seminar and feeling really proud of myself. Through my dedication to fitness, I had risen above the state of wellness to a state of super wellness. In the years that have passed since I first learned about this theory, my mindset has shifted to favor a different definition of wellness and fitness.
The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence” (1). My favorite part about this description are the words “active process.” Wellness is not an end state and cannot be plotted on a graph or continuum. So many people think that if we just had more hours in the day, or maybe more willpower, we would have what it takes to achieve that end state, to move ourselves further. That state doesn’t exist. Wellness is a process. If you engage in the process, and make choices to propel yourself on the path to a more successful existence, you are pursuing wellness. It is a process that you must commit to each and every day, over and over again.
The process of wellness includes the choices that you make every single day. It is not a to-do list that reads “go to the gym, hit macros, drink water, repeat.” Just like a CrossFit workout, the definition of fitness is universally scalable. According to the dictionary, fit means “of a suitable quality, standard, or type to meet the required purpose.” This is exactly what fitness does- it prepares your body so that it meets the demands of your required purpose. Maintaining an excellent level of physical fitness and ignoring other components of wellness is like having your dream car in mint condition sit in your garage and never driving it. What is the point of having a body in mint condition if you don’t use that body to fearlessly pursue your passions and things in life that bring you to a higher level of existence?
If you’ve read the article up until this point, I’ll leave you with this:
Create your own definition of fitness. No two people are the same. Define what is your “required purpose?” Ask yourself how can you train for that. It will bring a whole new level of meaning to your workouts and your life.
Pursue wellness each and every day. Make choices inside and outside of the gym that bring you toward a more successful existence. These choices could range anywhere from working out, to ending toxic relationships, to eating your vegetables, to making time in your life for things you are passionate about.
Written By: Alexa Pancza
(1) http://www.nationalwellness.org/?page=Six_Dimensions