The end game

Whether you're a first-time reader of this magazine or a longtime subscriber, you likely have more than a passing interest in fitness. Heck, simply having picked this issue off the rack puts you ahead of most in the effort to achieve, or maintain, a healthier lifestyle. But too often, in our quest to attain the "perfect body," we get caught up in the end result of our labors. We become so driven by the desire to meet our goals that we begin to ignore the pleasure we derive from the process of reaching them.

Not everyone has the genetics of a Tiger Woods or a Shaquille O'Neal. So regardless of how many rounds we put in on the course or how many games of pickup basketball we notch on the blacktop, the majority of us will never reach their level of performance. The sky, it seems, is not always the limit. But does that mean we are supposed to give up those activities that give us pleasure because there are those who seem destined to play them on a higher plane, one that is beyond our abilities?

Of course not. For even though most of us will never win an NBA championship or wear the green jacket at Augusta, we can, and should, continue to participate in sports that bring us a large measure of satisfaction.

It's the same with health and fitness. Being fit doesn't necessarily mean building a body that rivals those you see in the pages of this magazine. What it means is reaching your potential, and dedicating yourself to being in the best shape, both physically and mentally, that you can possibly be.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning