The importance of finding your fitness identity

i·den·ti·ty

ˌīˈden(t)ədē/

noun

1. the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.

2. a close similarity or affinity.

Now that we've had a remedial vocabulary lesson, think real quick: what do you identify as, fitness-wise? Are you a runner? Are you a weight lifter? Are you a weekend warrior or intermittent gym goer or couch potato? I think if you ask this question, even at a sport-specific event like a 10k, you get a ton of varying responses. I know that I've been guilty of shying away from labeling myself a runner in the past because I wasn't sure I was fast enough or consistent enough or skinny enough to actually uphold that label. And that's bull. But don't get me started on the whole "if you run, you're a runner" thing.

What I am here to say today is DO label yourself! You know what happens when you do allow yourself a fitness-inspired label? You begin to identify as one. I listened to a podcast a few months ago about the runner's brain, and it was super sciencey. I mean good, meaty, keep-my-attention-during-a-long-run stuff, and the guest spoke about a small area in the brain that has a lot to do with the things we identify with and surround ourselves with. For example, if you want to be a bodybuilder, it is beneficial to surround yourself with things you associate with bodybuilding. Arnold magazine covers on the coffee table, Jay Cutler protein in the pantry, fat grips in your car. Not only are you seeing these things on a regular basis, but they're also conversation pieces. I'm not gonna lie, I love when someone asks me about or comments on a race t-shirt I'm wearing. It's a positive association with running! It affirms that I am, in fact, a runner, and it allows me to talk about something I (usually) enjoy doing. Sometimes the conversation leads to learning about a race I should do or just an inactive individual who is curious about how I got started.

This is easy with running for me because I'm always game to shop for new running gear. Yes, yes, I have plenty of leggings. Enough to run for weeks without doing any laundry... BUT new ones are motivating! It sounds silly, but there's nothing like wearing new workout gear. It's an experiment in chafing, and it's a chance to feel fresh in a very habitual sport. Again, it's a positive association. It helps keep me out there running because it's a part of my fitness identity. I like to write random inspiring quotes on things so that it may spur me out of a motivational funk, and I especially like to talk about running. But you already knew that. Turns out, it's a good thing when you can't shut up about something you enjoy doing. It perpetuates it as a habit.

You know what else I think is important? I think it's crucial to not only identify what you are currently in the health & fitness realm, but also, what do you want to be? Like, I am weak. Physically, I am just not naturally very strong. I can't jump very high, and I tire really quickly in plyometrics and calisthenics. And I don't like that! In the past when I've been consistent in the gym, I've gotten much stronger (oh wow duh), but it takes me a good while. But you know, I really don't want to continue to identify as weak. I don't like feeling like I don't have much upper body strength or plyometric power, and that feeling of being unhappy with my current performance is driving me to rethink my fitness identity. Do I want to just be a runner? No, not really. I mean, there are a lot of ways that I want to be a better runner, but I want to be more. I'm a tough mudder (2x) and a certified personal trainer, and I associate both of those with strength. Those are a couple of the labels I'm going to be focusing on going forward as I start to mix up my workouts and running.

So what about you? What sounds like an awesome identifier to you? Do you want to be a marathoner? How about a crossfitter? Do you want to be known as the healthy one among your friends? Pay attention to conversations you have with people; do you ever find yourself saying, "that's really amazing!" or "I would love to do something like that!"? If so, take steps to align your identity with that person and that activity. If you want to run, attach yourself to that acquaintance at your church who runs or find a Facebook group of other new runners. Yes, expanding your identity into a new area is a leap, it requires stepping out of your comfort zone a little, but comfort zones suck. They are where your goals slowly shrivel and die and your waistline grows and grows. I don't know about you, but my mood stinks when I live in my comfort zone. My greatest times in my life are times I stepped out of it and actually lived. And now I'm living every day as a badass mother runner, and I think that's a pretty cool identity so far!