Is there an end point or are you always doing more?

My PLAN is to find that fit spot at goal and THEN try other activities that I could possibly enjoy and build onto my happy level. In a way it's staying at my happy and building on at the same time. LOL I probably didn't help at all! I'm no where near my fit place so I'm still in progress. This is an excellent question and I would love to see what other people have to say.

I get bored, so I don't think I'll ever have an end point, but I think it's okay to reach a level and stay there. Whatever tickles your pickle. With so many ambitious people on this website and other fitness websites, many may feel the need to continue reaching for some goal, but if it makes them unreasonably unhappy, they shouldn't strive to keep doing more.
I'm not at my peak or happy point yet, but I'm content enough for now and am in no rush.

Lounmoun wrote: »

Do you feel that you should always strive to increase (time or intensity) whatever activity you do- or just get to a level you feel is fit enough for you and strive to maintain that level of activity? Have you gotten to your fitness happy point?

I am at my fitness happy point in that I enjoy what I am doing and the progress I am making. But I don't see an end point right now. If that ever comes, it is years down the lane.

As Wendler said, "This is a lifelong project"

Death is the end point.

Lounmoun wrote: »

Do you feel that you should always strive to increase (time or intensity) whatever activity you do- or just get to a level you feel is fit enough for you and strive to maintain that level of activity? Have you gotten to your fitness happy point?

There is no end point, but there is a point where less is more. As a distance runner, I don't maintain a fitness happy point; I do training cycles aimed at major events. This involves increasing and decreasing activity in patterns designed to improve performance at a goal race, followed by recovery (which can take a noticeable time after a marathon), then base building, then another training cycle.

So it's not always striving to increase time and intensity, but it's not maintaining at a target point either.

I set new fitness goals every year, so no end point really. I find new things to challenge me. I have done one sprint triathlon every year for the past 5 years...this year I decided I didn't want to do that again this year so I have a new goal of doing a 1.2 mile open water swim. I am terrified. I think finding a goal that has me scared will always happen.

I've been at this (weight loss/maintenance) for 5 1/2 years now and I'm super happy with my body, body composition and progress.

But I push myself to do more, wanting to try new things/activities and to grow and get even better.

I'm always working on a fitness goal and I tend rotate my favorite exercise to do every few weeks. It seems to help keeping me from getting bored.

I love fitness and although I might have to make adjustments from time to time, I will never be completely done.

From a cardio standpoint, I've increased my time from 25 to 55 minutes over a six-month period. I think I'll stop at 60. But then there's strength-training, which isn't just lifting. I'm uncoordinated and used to shy away from anything fitness-related because it was "hard". Because I was sure I looked ludicrous. Well, I'm discovering that there are core-strengthening exercises that improve balance and posture. There are exercises that increase flexibility. There are things I can do to improve coordination. There's always going to be something to work on; it just won't always be the same thing.

Lounmoun wrote: »

Do you feel that you should always strive to increase (time or intensity) whatever activity you do- or just get to a level you feel is fit enough for you and strive to maintain that level of activity? Have you gotten to your fitness happy point?

When I was younger, it was the former. Now that I'm older, it's the latter. Frankly, unless you're in some form of competition, it's not necessary to always strive to lift heavier weights or to run faster/longer.

If your objective is just to lose weight, gain strength and/or improve your physique, there will come a time when you will plateau and/or achieve your goals. At that point, all that is "necessary" is to maintain what you worked so hard to achieve.

In my case, I lost 36# over 6 months from 196 to 160, reduced my BF from +25% down to 10% and have been maintaining right about 158# over the past 5 months by just eating "right" (still counting cals) and doing the basic strength and cardio exercises that got me here w/o "pushing" the weights up much (if any) more or increasing the intensity/duration of the cardio too much (if at all).

I still do "something" everyday. Lifting (just the Big 4 compound lifts), rowing (my form of cardio) and a pushup/pullup & dip routine. Usually also do 30 mins on a stairmaster 1x a week at the gym and now that the weather is better, going to start doing some crossfit activities (tire flip, sled push/pull and battle ropes) again in my back yard once or twice a week.

Nothing too long or too intensive. Mostly in split routines for no more than 30 mins to 1 hr at a time. Just enough to build up some sweat and keep me looking fit and trim.

Works for me and I'm happy with the results.

Not always more but I'm always working to a new goal or challenge.

Like training for a certain time, or a certain gradient whilst hill running. Then training for a further distance or adding in another thing to learn. (I'm thinking snow boarding at Sunderland might be my next challenge )