At what point do you consider...?

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kb_CG_wife
kb_CG_wife Posts: 181 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
At what point do you consider yourself an athlete?

Is it a level of fitness and the amount of muscle you have? Is it something physical that you can see?

Or is it a mind set, a feeling, the lifestyle change becoming your actual life?

Is it being proud of yourself for coming as far as you've come?

Tell me what you think?

Replies

  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
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    Athletes compete, it is the ability to compete against your peers and be more successful than them.

    A long distance runner has different needs ot achieve results than a Javelin thrower.

    are you asking at what point do individuals feel fit or how do individuals reach their personal goals?
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    If you train regularly, you're an athlete. If you run regularly, you're a runner. If you climb regularly, you're a climber. If you practice the piano, you're a pianist. If you play computer games regularly, you're a gamer. You might not be paid or compete but you're still defining yourself.
  • kb_CG_wife
    kb_CG_wife Posts: 181 Member
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)
  • kb_CG_wife
    kb_CG_wife Posts: 181 Member
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    If you train regularly, you're an athlete. If you run regularly, you're a runner. If you climb regularly, you're a climber. If you practice the piano, you're a pianist. If you play computer games regularly, you're a gamer. You might not be paid or compete but you're still defining yourself.


    I LOVE it!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    In my very un-exercise educated opinion consider someone an athlete when it wasn't just something they did on their own, but something they competed in (even if they didn't win) or did for some other purpose other than or additional to personal fitness. Not saying they have to be professional, but someone who say... climbs mountains and gets recognition, runs marathons, does long distance walking against other individuals or groups, competes in various sports...

    that's just what it means to me.
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)

    Is fitness linked to be comfortable in your own skin so much so you can only take on the world by being fit? Seems a very narrow viewpoint. Can you not be unfit and still take on the world? Seems like you are not wanting to know about athletes but about psychology and a sense of self-worth

    I spend a lot of time thinking therefore I am a thinker. Doing and therefore a doer. Empathiser therefore an empath.
  • kb_CG_wife
    kb_CG_wife Posts: 181 Member
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)

    Is fitness linked to be comfortable in your own skin so much so you can only take on the world by being fit? Seems a very narrow viewpoint. Can you not be unfit and still take on the world? Seems like you are not wanting to know about athletes but about psychology and a sense of self-worth

    I spend a lot of time thinking therefore I am a thinker. Doing and therefore a doer. Empathiser therefore an empath.

    Please do not bring self worth into this. I don't question my self worth. I am one of the strongest people I know. I am a military wife with a husband who is deployed. I live in the middle of nowhere, 1,000 miles away from my home and family, working a full time job. I have many responsibilities and I'm highly depended on. I use my achievements as my own inspiration, and pass that on to others. I think perhaps you're taking my question a little too literally. Seems like you're jumping the gun and assuming things about me, which you do not know, as you've never met me or associated with a day in your life. I spend a lot of time training, and creating a healthy life for myself, taking on friendly competion to those who care to take me on. Therefore, I consider myself an athlete.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    So... you didn't really care what other people considered to be an athlete, but just wanted an affirmation?

    I consider an "Athlete" to be different to an Athletic Person. It's a title, which has conditions, not necessarily just performance based, attached. Again, I'm un-exercise educated. But you seem to want validation?
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)

    Is fitness linked to be comfortable in your own skin so much so you can only take on the world by being fit? Seems a very narrow viewpoint. Can you not be unfit and still take on the world? Seems like you are not wanting to know about athletes but about psychology and a sense of self-worth

    I spend a lot of time thinking therefore I am a thinker. Doing and therefore a doer. Empathiser therefore an empath.

    Please do not bring self worth into this. I don't question my self worth. I am one of the strongest people I know. I am a military wife with a husband who is deployed. I live in the middle of nowhere, 1,000 miles away from my home and family, working a full time job. I have many responsibilities and I'm highly depended on. I use my achievements as my own inspiration, and pass that on to others. I think perhaps you're taking my question a little too literally. Seems like you're jumping the gun and assuming things about me, which you do not know, as you've never met me or associated with a day in your life. I spend a lot of time training, and creating a healthy life for myself, taking on friendly competion to those who care to take me on. Therefore, I consider myself an athlete.

    I was making a broad brush stroke with the term "self-worth" but if the cap fits and all that.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I was an athlete when I was a kid because I participated in athletics. I played soccer, basketball, softball, and volleyball. I don't consider going to the gym or jogging through the neighborhood to be athletics.
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)

    Is fitness linked to be comfortable in your own skin so much so you can only take on the world by being fit? Seems a very narrow viewpoint. Can you not be unfit and still take on the world? Seems like you are not wanting to know about athletes but about psychology and a sense of self-worth

    I spend a lot of time thinking therefore I am a thinker. Doing and therefore a doer. Empathiser therefore an empath.

    Please do not bring self worth into this. I don't question my self worth. I am one of the strongest people I know. I am a military wife with a husband who is deployed. I live in the middle of nowhere, 1,000 miles away from my home and family, working a full time job. I have many responsibilities and I'm highly depended on. I use my achievements as my own inspiration, and pass that on to others. I think perhaps you're taking my question a little too literally. Seems like you're jumping the gun and assuming things about me, which you do not know, as you've never met me or associated with a day in your life. I spend a lot of time training, and creating a healthy life for myself, taking on friendly competion to those who care to take me on. Therefore, I consider myself an athlete.

    Wow. :huh: Why the heck did you bother posting this topic? That was totally off the deep end. A person so full of strength and self confidence would not have reacted that way.
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)

    Ignore the a-holes.
    It varies for everyone. Keep working, keep progressing, and you will get there. You might even be there already and just need to realize it.
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
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    I'm asking at what point does one feel so healthy, so fit, and so comfortable in their own skin to feel like they can take on the world. Not really looking for the technical definition of a sports competitor. :)

    Ignore the a-holes.
    It varies for everyone. Keep working, keep progressing, and you will get there. You might even be there already and just need to realize it.

    Passive aggressive, much.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    I think one of the important first "leaps" that one makes when starting -- or restarting -- an exercise program is that day when you increase the challenge -- load up a new weight, decide to push a new speed on your run, that first day you do 10 push ups with perfect form, etc-- and in response, you feel your body "kick in" so to speak and respond to the new workload. And the body is working that way not by accident, but because you are making it happen.

    To me, that's the day that you start to internalize an exercise program and you start doing it because you WANT to, and not because you think you HAVE to.

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