Thankfulness for Fitness

I don’t mean I’m thankful for fitness, though I am. I mean a spirit of gratitude lends itself to improved fitness. Whether you reference broad epidemiological research, the Blue Zones, studies on health and longevity, or you just look around at anecdotes, you soon find that all of health and fitness boils down to stress management, and specifically a spirit of thankfulness.

Clients ask my thoughts on cardio, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, cheat meals, strengthening, veganism, you name it. If it’s a NET decrease in physical and mental stress, it’s productive for you where you are in your life right now. If it’s a NET increase in physical and mental stress, it’s unproductive.

Of course this begs the question of which tiny stressors improve our overall stress management thereafter. Some exercise is productive for most people. But a ton of exercise is counterproductive for most people. You get the idea.
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From what I’ve observed over tens of thousands of coaches, clients, members, peers, and the like, gratitude moves the needle in your favor. A thankless heart can’t achieve a balance even if it appears all other parts of their life are perfectly healthy. And an exploding spirit of gratefulness appears to overwhelm an ostensibly mismanaged otherwise unhealthy life.