Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

How important is fitness to you?

124

Replies

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    healthy491 wrote: »
    CipherZero wrote: »
    healthy491 wrote: »
    I dont get the point of striving to have a nice physique and then not enjoying it by going out and just participating in life.

    The nice physique is a side-effect of getting to a healthier weight and overall health, not the major driver - at least in my case.

    So how is rejecting to socialize and going to the gym exactly healthy?

    I asked a guy out on a date once but he declined because he didn't want to let down his gym buddy. He totally would have gotten laid too. Oh-well, he didn't even have a car so I don't think I missed out on anything.

    Y'know, I think women are behaving poorly when they skip out of a pre-existing commitment to a female friend, in order to go out with a guy. I'd feel likewise about a guy who'll blow off a commitment to a friend (gym or whatever) in order to go out with a woman.

    YMMV . . . clearly.

    But this isn't a gym vs. relationships with people question; it's a "being an unreliable jerk instead of an actual friend" question.

    That's how it seems to me too. Also, if someone has a commitment, why not another night.

    Reminds me of when I was an awkward teen and got asked out on my first one-on-one kind of date from a guy I was sort of friends with but wasn't sure about my feelings toward beyond that. My response (while panicking): "um, I'm actually busy that night." His reply, rather coldly: "I didn't mention a particular night." Oops. Didn't do wonders for the relationship, friends or otherwise.
  • Berthony25
    Berthony25 Posts: 27 Member
    For me it just about how far I want to push myself because I really don't think I have ever push myself very far so to me it about the journey more than the results
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    tomteboda wrote: »
    I asked a guy out on a date once but he declined because he didn't want to let down his gym buddy. He totally would have gotten laid too. Oh-well, he didn't even have a car so I don't think I missed out on anything.

    Let me get this straight. You are pissed that a guy was reliable and honored his commitments? Good heavens, these are the best men.

    Who said I was pissed? lol, don't twist my words. I was disappointed, sure, I mean he did lift weights, I wanted to touch him and....what not.... But he never asked me out after that so I got over it. I thought the story was relevant and a humorous addition to the thread.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited August 2016
    Fitness is more important to me than a relationship with a person who deliberately interferes with my fitness. There are exceptions. Sometimes you have to take care of someone instead of going to the gym, whether it's a kid or a partner. That isn't the same as a person who consistently prefers watching TV over going out and doing something active, or someone who denigrates your efforts to improve your health.
  • jtegirl
    jtegirl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Living a fit lifestyle is very important to me. I love the way working out and eating healthy makes me look and feel. I am single, so I'm not really sacrificing anything and I don't work out every day. I love lifting and hate cardio, and luckily lifting does enough for me that I am able to do minimal cardio. I would love a swole mate. Or as a t-shirt on a site I follow on FB says "Cuddles, weights and cheat meal dates" That's what I want. :)
  • Negative_X
    Negative_X Posts: 296 Member
    It's my life. Without it, I doubt I'd be around still.
  • This content has been removed.
  • d4_54
    d4_54 Posts: 62 Member
    kev6686 wrote: »
    The further you get into your journey, undoubtedly you invest more time, money, effort...

    I found this particularly true when I first got into the groove of taking fitness seriously, once you get your training, diet and sleep in check. You see your goals can become reality.

    It's kind of addictive motoring towards your dream physique and naturally something that takes so much commitment, can also leave you guilty of sacrificing relationships, I know I did, I'd turn down dates or meetings with friends to go and throw some weights around. This was mainly due to knowing that with friends or girls I often went way off track with my diet. Or wouldn't train due to hangovers...

    My question is how highly do you prioritise fitness/gym I'm your life?

    When you really think about it, is it something you genuinely love and would put before relationships if it came to the point you had to choose?

    I used to have to have to fit my life around my gym. Now being elite level fit is not important to me at all. Being healthy is important.

    The way I see it is...that 12 week leg programme, or superset hiit schedule are all short term. These are not things I will/can/or want to do for the rest of my life.

    Nothing wrong with striving for the ultimate fitness and chiselled physique however I found that at points in my life I also put life to one side for these pursuits. I realise now that these are for most people, temporary states. They do not last forever (life does). My life is not temporary, so I think health, (which is also not a short term thing) should be my main focus over being super fit.

    Nothing, absolutely nothing (before I am criticised) is wrong with being super fit. It feels amazing when we 'ACTUALLY' achieve it. Bring healthy is also a good look.



  • d4_54
    d4_54 Posts: 62 Member
    edited August 2016
    rainbow198 wrote: »
    esjones12 wrote: »
    Those who have hindered or not supported me have fallen to the wayside by natural differences. People eventually stop calling when you turn down drinking invites. Which was fine by me. I have a completely different group of (overly amazing) friends these days. Over time changes have been made and my entire outlook on many topics has changed. I don't see this as a problem at all. I am better and happier than where I was.

    I can relate to this. Great points!

    I ask....when the the new friends lifestyle changes, for whatever reason, and it doesn't fit or support your lifestyle. Will they then fall to the wayside?

    I turned down friends who used to invite me out because it didn't fit my previous lifestyle. I lost good people who I should have said, "let's go out but can we go to a restaurant with a healthier menu choice?" "I will drive us home so you guys can drink".

    When my friends are not friends because I want to exercise all the time, that's on me. Not them.
  • d4_54
    d4_54 Posts: 62 Member
    tomteboda wrote: »
    I asked a guy out on a date once but he declined because he didn't want to let down his gym buddy. He totally would have gotten laid too. Oh-well, he didn't even have a car so I don't think I missed out on anything.

    Let me get this straight. You are pissed that a guy was reliable and honored his commitments? Good heavens, these are the best men.

    Should have split the difference and made it a 3-way.

    I was never that bad that I turned down the possibility of getting laid for the gym. That's why I was going gym in the first place....lets be honest.
  • Geeky_and_Cheeky
    Geeky_and_Cheeky Posts: 493 Member
    Honestly, it's pretty low on my list of priorities as a mom of 2 trying to do everything on my own. Sleep & spending time with my kids come before working out, as well as housework, etc. I consistently get 4-5 hours a sleep a night, although I workout about everyday I do think I could use that 30mins to sleep or actually shower for once. But as I keep losing weight, I began making more time for working out most days.
  • This content has been removed.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2016
    d4_54 wrote: »
    tomteboda wrote: »
    I asked a guy out on a date once but he declined because he didn't want to let down his gym buddy. He totally would have gotten laid too. Oh-well, he didn't even have a car so I don't think I missed out on anything.

    Let me get this straight. You are pissed that a guy was reliable and honored his commitments? Good heavens, these are the best men.

    Should have split the difference and made it a 3-way.

    I was never that bad that I turned down the possibility of getting laid for the gym. That's why I was going gym in the first place....lets be honest.

    That's because while the gym releases endorphins, sex releases the biggest endorphine, oxycodone, and therefore is naturally addictive.

    MmmHmm. That's why they keep trying to outlaw it in Kentucky.

    Plus, sex apparently burns like way more calories than the gym anyway. Or so I have learned on MFP.
  • d4_54
    d4_54 Posts: 62 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    d4_54 wrote: »
    tomteboda wrote: »
    I asked a guy out on a date once but he declined because he didn't want to let down his gym buddy. He totally would have gotten laid too. Oh-well, he didn't even have a car so I don't think I missed out on anything.

    Let me get this straight. You are pissed that a guy was reliable and honored his commitments? Good heavens, these are the best men.

    Should have split the difference and made it a 3-way.

    I was never that bad that I turned down the possibility of getting laid for the gym. That's why I was going gym in the first place....lets be honest.

    That's because while the gym releases endorphins, sex releases the biggest endorphine, oxycodone, and therefore is naturally addictive.

    MmmHmm. That's why they keep trying to outlaw it in Kentucky.

    Plus, sex apparently burns like way more calories than the gym anyway. Or so I have learned on MFP.

    That depends now doesn't it...
  • This content has been removed.
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 838 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    d4_54 wrote: »
    tomteboda wrote: »
    I asked a guy out on a date once but he declined because he didn't want to let down his gym buddy. He totally would have gotten laid too. Oh-well, he didn't even have a car so I don't think I missed out on anything.

    Let me get this straight. You are pissed that a guy was reliable and honored his commitments? Good heavens, these are the best men.

    Should have split the difference and made it a 3-way.

    I was never that bad that I turned down the possibility of getting laid for the gym. That's why I was going gym in the first place....lets be honest.

    That's because while the gym releases endorphins, sex releases the biggest endorphine, oxycodone, and therefore is naturally addictive.

    MmmHmm. That's why they keep trying to outlaw it in Kentucky.

    Plus, sex apparently burns like way more calories than the gym anyway. Or so I have learned on MFP.

    If Kentucky is ever sucessful, maybe other states will reproduce their results?

    I suspect they will simply through the baby out with the bath water in an abortive attempt.
  • GregStone2
    GregStone2 Posts: 45 Member
    Yeah being fit and healthy is important to be free from disease and to loose body fat to live a long life to look good feel good
  • magicpickles
    magicpickles Posts: 286 Member
    Pretty important, but I'm not super athletic or sporty. I think I would enjoy it more once I am close to a healthy weight. I do better with my fitness than my food choices.
  • Fitness is sort of meh. Being thin is the ultimate goal which means concentrating more on diet then anything.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Fitness is sort of meh. Being thin is the ultimate goal which means concentrating more on diet then anything.

    It's kinda hard to exercise while eating only 500 calories a day anyways.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    It turns out to make more time for the Internet, hygiene took a back seat.

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/31/business/20080801-metrics-graphic.html?_r=0
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    edited September 2016
    Fitness is important to me. And I enjoy being physically active. So, it's not a sacrifice to my relationship. I'm a dancer. I lift weights, but I only do that for maybe 45 minutes 2-3 days a week. And my recreation usually involves going out dancing for hours because I love it, hiking/walks, or doing things that involve moving and walking around. My friends are dancers also, so we dance together.
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
    edited September 2016
    How important is fitness currently: moderately important, but more because it fixes my depression that anything else.

    How important is it that reap the benefits of a fit lifestyle at 75: extremely important.

    Every time I work out I'm giving a gift to my older self. When I'm old, I want to be all the things my grandparents weren't: active, mobile, and healthy. Working out and eating right today are the keys to those things.
  • jillybeansalad
    jillybeansalad Posts: 239 Member
    In answer to your question, cardiovascular fitness is fairly important to me as I like to play a fair bit of sport and last the distance. ;)

    This! If I didn't workout, I would absolutely blow at roller derby... and my team wouldn't be able to depend on me.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    kev6686 wrote: »
    My question is how highly do you prioritise fitness/gym I'm your life?

    When you really think about it, is it something you genuinely love and would put before relationships if it came to the point you had to choose?

    My favourite fitness activity is cycling, but I like other activities as well.

    My desire to be fit and active was probably one of the things that drove a wedge between my ex-husband and me. He was simply not interested in anything fitness related and I was. There were many other factors of course, but that was one.

    When I became single, I threw myself into cycling and had a personal policy that if you wanted to socialise with me, you got on a bicycle and rode with me. :)

    I married a fellow cyclist and we now ride together. And yes, our cycling (and other fitness activities ... we go to the gym, hike, canoe, and various other things too) takes priority over most other things.

  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    I want a well-conditioned heart, pair of lungs, tones arms & legs, and minimal abdominal fat. I prioritize my health now; something I didn't do before I lost 100 lbs. There's only a certain amount of time and energy in a day, and people choose how to fill that time. For me, I realize that because my time and energy is portioned between mom, wife, nurse, student, & fitness, I have chosen to forgo a social life. I'm okay with that. One day, my children will be grown and I'll be finished with school, and I'll have open slots in my time and energy totals for a social life.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
    It might sound silly, but right now my main focus is to see the number on the scale go down. Obviously, that requires a healthier lifestyle, but as odd as it might sound fitness isn't my main priority? I know that sounds dumb, and I do not know how else to explain it...haha

    Now, in regards to relationships, I would like to think no one in my life would make me choose between them and getting healthy. I am not even going to try and lie - when it comes to cheating, I fold like a napkin. (Chinese gets me every single time!) If it turned into a thing where someone was constantly trying to get me to give in, I might have to reconsider having them in my life. (Possibly just until I got a stronger willpower.) When I get into the swing of things, I take it seriously, and I need motivators - not little devils whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
  • My fitness is important to me because it makes me feel better. It makes my skin glowy and I smile more. I don't care about my body fat percentage. I like making gains because I like achieving things...and also I am forever in awe of what my body CAN do despite some of its limitations.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    edited September 2016
    It's important enough that I make sure I have Wednesday evening off from work to make it to pole. I will make sure I pack a gym bag to go straight to my aerial class on Tuesday and spin on Thursday. And I'll make sure that I don't take a lunch on Tuesday so I can leave work 15 minutes early to make it to my aerial class on time.

    But I deliberately will not schedule any fitness related things on Sunday bc I go visit my grandparents. There have been times where there was a class I really wanted to take, but it was on Sunday, so it was a deal breaker for me. Seeing my grandparents is much more important to me than any fitness class.

    I prioritize it to an extent. But I draw the line at missing out on important family or friend time. Now, if I've already scheduled and paid for something for a pole or aerial class/workshop and someone asks if I'm free I will tell them that I'm free after that class/workshop ends and I've had enough time to go home, shower, and change. I'm upfront about why I'm not available before that time either.

    My friends and family know that I workout regularly. They know I pole and do aerial. They know it's important to me, so they don't give me grief over it.

    Now as far as calories goes, it's important for me to stay within my goal, but if every once in a while I go over. I don't freak out about. 2 days out of the month is not going to kill your progress. Also, if you know you've got something coming up, plan for it. Throw an extra workout in during the week, shave off a few calories each day, or do both, that way you when wiggle room. It's a system that works for me.

    ETA: I've become good friends with everyone I pole with and do aerial with. So while it's a workout, it's also a social time for me too. So it's the best of both worlds. Also, there are times when I'll catch a spin class with friends and not just go solo. It depends on their schedule and I will rearrange my spin day to meet their needs as long as it doesn't interfere with my pole and aerial classes, but they make sure that the day they choose doesn't so it's never been a problem.