For far too many people, the answer to this question is, “Nothing.” It is really, truly heartbreaking for me to hear people say this and to watch people, some of whom are my friends and family, live it.

I went to an event hosted quarterly by Beachbody (creators of P90X, INSANITY, and other excellent fitness programs if you haven’t been following my ramblings on Facebook) called Super Saturday. I got to meet the CEO, Carl Daikeler and Autumn Calabrese of 21 Day Fix, one of Beachbody’s most popular programs. That was really cool, and it was great to feed off the energy of two people who have done so much to help others change their lives. There were two things that really struck me, though, after reflecting on the day’s events.

There was a time scheduled during the day specifically to address success stories. There are enough people changing their lives doing these programs that a significant amount of time had to be set aside to celebrate those accomplishments. During this time, the host asked anyone who had lost at least 5 pounds doing a Beachbody program to stand. As you might imagine, everyone was standing. The host then asked those who had lost 10 pounds to remain standing. Then 25, 50, 75, etc. There were people still standing after the host had reached 150 pounds or more. OR MORE. It was so inspiring to see people who at one time struggled to even stand and walk without being winded participate in a group workout at the end of the day. Alternatively, there were also those present who still had a significant amount of weight to lose. It was equally inspiring to see them participate in the workout and take control of their health and fitness, when some were previously too embarrassed to even leave their homes because of the way others treated them. With 1,200 very physically fit people in one room, the physical results are difficult to ignore.

However, it was when another coach shared his story that I was struck by my biggest takeaway of the day, and it wasn’t centered around a traditional physical transformation. He sat for a long time on the couch in his living room. Behind that couch was a cabinet that contained the medication he had to take daily. His wife began a Beachbody program, and invited him to join her. He declined, citing the fact that he was “comfortable” on the couch. There he remained until observing the impact this program had on his wife. He was also inspired by a friend who had a transformation of his own. He decided enough was enough, ordered a fitness program of his own and as he put it, “invited health and wellness into [his] home.” After completing his original program (which led to completing several others) and overhauling his diet, he no longer had to take his medicine. What he said next was eye-opening for me. “I didn’t know I could feel better.” He didn’t realize there was anything more than just “being” on the couch. I took some time to reflect on that and realized how true that is for a lot of people. How many of us go through life not realizing that there is MORE? That we can feel BETTER?

I never really considered that there are two sides to real fitness until recently, and in the society we live in today you would never guess that the most important aspect of fitness is NOT the way our body looks, but how we feel and function. When you move your body and nourish it with the things it truly needs, the physical results will follow. I touched in my previous post about how good it feels to be active and to eat in a way that, for me, is mindful of health. Prioritizing a workout and then feeding my body what it craves (what it actually NEEDS) is what fuels any physical results I might see. I have also started to consider my mental wellness. I’ve begun focusing on personal development and try to make meditation a part of my day every day. I make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep. (Thank you, day shift.) I have only been doing this for a short time, but in that time I have seen noticeable changes in my attitude, and I generally feel so much better. As a result of this, I have also noticed that I am stronger, and I can increase weights or do an exercise longer than I was previously capable.  I think it is important to consider the role real, all-encompassing health and wellness play in overall fitness. There are plenty of ways to lose weight (none of which I recommend) that will leave you with great physical results, but that will leave you feeling worse than when you started.

So, my friends, I am asking you to consider what fitness means to you. Does it mean anything to you? Is it a priority to you at all? If not, why not? What can I do to help you achieve real fitness?