Know it Live it - A reason to go to the gym

We all know we are supposed to exercise, we've been given countless reasons and yet somehow the message is just not getting through. The message is getting both lost and distorted, often portraying fitness as unattainable, or even worse, miserable.

Having worked in the fitness industry for nearly 20 years I am continually surprised by the misconceptions surrounding exercise, and the incredible resistance to starting  and maintaining an exercise program. Admittedly I have a bias, and what some would consider and unfair advantage, I'm a trainer and make a living prescribing exercise. But, that's not accurate, I genuinely love to move, I find freedom in movement, especially when it takes me outside and to new places.

I see it everyday, we blindly trudge off to the gym and wander, generally aimlessly, from machine to machine with a blank stare that clearly states "when is this going to be over!" Grateful when it finally ends, we head off to live the rest of our day and attend to the" important things in life." This lack of purpose, these feelings of drudgery and obligation are devastating to attaining and maintaining fitness as an important part of increasing health and wellness. I spend hours trying to diffuse these perceptions and provide an outlet that makes the gym not only a place to look forward to, but more importantly give purpose to.

I am a strong advocate that exercise involve being outdoors, but in a world of YouTube and social media we are continuously bombarded with images of people doing extreme sport, losing site that this population represents only a tiny fraction of recreational activities. We set the bar for participation so high we forget that exercise can be an enjoyable and valuable experience in life. It can be enjoyed in many environments without the risk of serious injury or worse, death. We have an endless variety of activities that allow us to interact, not only with our environment, but our communities as well. It can be as simple as walking through a local park, hiking on a nearby trail, a bike ride through your community, or a day on the water with a stand-up- paddle board. We carry this misconception that exercising outdoors needs to involve some extreme element, it has to be hard and only real athletes do it. KOLIfit was founded to remove these barriers to participation and provide a path to enjoyable and sustainable interaction with one's environment and community. 

It's not that the gym doesn't play a valuable role in maintaining health and fitness,it does,  but I believe it should be viewed as tool to help enhance your experiences in outdoor recreational pursuits.  Going to the gym with a purpose, one that says this will make what I really enjoy doing even better takes away the dread and drudgery that generally accompanies gym workouts.

KOLIfit Founders and Professional
 trainers Aaron and Scott

If your not sure how to make the best use of your gym time, consider consulting with a trainer, preferably one that understands integrating gym fitness and outdoor recreation.  A qualified trainer can give you the tools and confidence to apply your gym experience to more meaningful outdoor experiences.

Scott Browning - KOLIfit founder and Professional Fitness Trainer