You have to aim at something. As Jordan Peterson would say. It’s fundamental to our existence. We can’t act without aim. When it comes to fitness, most of us have no idea how to define it. And if we can’t define it, how do we know what we’re aiming at?
The modern human is subject to their whims, their insecurities and their impulses, easily distracted by novelty. Like any industry, the fitness industry is constantly churning out new product for the consumer to devour. Each claims to be the answer to all our problems, whether its the latest wearable, exercise program or supplement. Through expert marketing and persuasion tactics – that ultimately exploit the potential customers “pain points” and that which they struggle with most – sellers program a definition of fitness which conveniently require the use of their product to achieve. With this new toy, the customer finally has something worth aiming at, or so they are told.
It’s probably not fair to place all who push products in the fitness industry into this box. Many of us have purchased these products and have experienced some genuine benefits incorporating them into our lives having borrowed from different modalities, or testing an array of technologies. And perhaps these have moved us towards a better understanding of fitness. But only ever in the context of how someone else defines it.
If you research a definition of fitness, the results are full of generalities such as being “suited to an environment” or “an ability to perform daily tasks”. Not much is offered in the way of specifics and terms like “environment” and “daily tasks” are full of ambiguity while “ten thousand steps a day” or a “one hundred kilo back squat” do not feature. But this is by design. These definitions leave room for interpretation; for you to assess the conditions of your environment and reflect on what you need to do in order to function adequately in the context of your day to day. Because fitness – as a state – is largely dependant on individual circumstance.
Unfortunately, many of the quick fixes, magic pills and the one size fits all programming are probably not relevant to your individual circumstance, albeit select portions of each may be for a period of time. It takes someone with a clear aim to discern this; to distinguish between what is useful in the context of how they define fitness, and completely irrelevant; what is a worthwhile investment or a waste of money.
Those with a clear aim have defined fitness: what is important, what they want to be capable of and how they want to feel. They are not easily seduced by marketing, and can adjust and adapt to ever changing conditions to suit their needs. This is no small feat. It requires that you assess and reflect. It requires you are disciplined and precise. But if its something worth aiming at, this is exactly how it should be.
This is an article published in the Sydney Observer’s 2025 April Edition
https://sydneyobserver.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Observer0425.pdf
CHANGE IS THE POINT 