Train Like a Human

This week I’ve been thinking about how most people mis-conceptualize working out. If people have been exposed to training, it’s usually been through high school or college sports. And we tend to think of this as the only way to train the human body. But what I do with clients now is vastly different from what most people think of when they think of athletic training or workout programs. It’s vastly different from how I was trained in high school cross country and track. Maybe you were also trained in this manner as a high school or college athlete. Maybe you still think of working out only as training like an athlete. Let me show you some differences.

When you train like an athlete, it’s a full time job. It often involves several hours of training per day, in addition to several hours of recovery. I think back to the 2 hour long running practices I endured every day after school, followed by ice baths and foam rolling. When you train like a human, it’s a small part of a full life. I can’t imagine having the time for hours of training, balanced against work, a social calendar, family time, and other hobbies. Oftentimes I’m really grateful to squeeze in a few walks per week, a half hour Pilates class, and a strength training day or two.

When you train like an athlete, you learn to listen to your coach, not your body. On days where I was low on sleep or my back was sore, I was still going to do 10 hill repeats. When you train like a human, you can prioritize checking in with your body. Today the goal of my workouts is to leave me feeling better in my body, not broken. I am empowered to choose movements that feel best in my body day to day. I can choose a rest day when I’m tired or return to activities that make my back feel better, rather than forcing myself through exercise that will drain and pain me.

When you train like an athlete, you workout to get better at working out. In high school, I trained to get faster, to improve my race times, and to increase my endurance. When you train like a human, the goal for working out is to improve the rest of your life, the other 23 hours a day you’re not working out. I train so that I can squat comfortably while pulling weeds in my garden or easily reach up to the top shelves of my closet.

Maybe this makes you think of working out in a different way. It doesn’t have to be your whole life, it doesn’t have to follow a grueling structure with little allowance for your humanness, and it doesn’t have to grind you down.

You’re allowed to workout for 30 minutes with the knowledge that it is sufficient. You’re allowed to prioritize how your body feels. And you’re allowed to choose exercises that serve you. To me, these are the shifts in mindset that will make working out sustainable, keep it fun and supportive of your lifestyle, and prevent injury.