Health and fitness are about way more than looking good at the beach or taking that perfect post-workout selfie in the bathroom. With the dawn of social media and heavy influence from bodybuilding culture, fitness has become purely about the aesthetic. We’re madly obsessed with the physicality of health and fitness, I fear we’ve taken it too far.
Before I go any further, let me admit this to you. One of my motivations for training hard is to look good! That’s not inherently a bad thing, but balance is the key. To quote Yoda: “You must unlearn what you have learned.” Your worth as a human being has NOTHING to do with your strength level, body fat percentage, waist circumference, or how you look naked. Of course these are great motivators, they’re not everything.
To me, it’s much more important to move well and feel great. It’s not until you’ve been injured that you truly appreciate pain-free movement. That being said, I love training hard and looking great! It’s incredibly empowering and a huge mental health booster. However, I believe that there’s a deeper reason to be strong.
We just wrapped-up our second annual “Fitness for Good” event. It’s a toy drive we do each year to benefit the sweet children at the Home for Little Wanderers, an organization providing family services to the greater Boston area. I’m proud to say that my kickass team raised just over $1,700 in gift cards for the Home. 2020 has been a tough year for us all, and it felt great to spread some holiday cheer to under-privileged kids.
To me, this is what “Strength with Purpose” and #strongsquadassemble are all about. We’re a group of like-minded individuals coming together to serve others through strength. Jen Murphy Meehan, a great friend and mentor of mine just recently participated in the 50,000 pull-ups for $50,000 challenge, benefiting the Tanzania Water Fund. It was by-far her proudest achievement of 2020. Reaching out and helping others will bring you more satisfaction than your best pr’s in the gym, I guarantee it. Don’t believe me? Invest your time, money and energy into a worthy cause and see what happens.
Train your body. Feed your mind.
-Demarco
