Why you Should Train for Health over Aesthetics

The Importance of Exercising for Health Rather Than Aesthetics

In a world driven by image and appearance, the emphasis on physical aesthetics often overshadows the primary reason why we should exercise: our health. While the desire to achieve a toned body or sculpted muscles is not inherently wrong, prioritizing aesthetics over health can lead to detrimental consequences in the long run.

Understanding the Difference: Health vs. Aesthetics

Health and aesthetics are often intertwined, but they should not be viewed as one and the same. Health encompasses a wide range of factors beyond physical appearance, including cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, flexibility, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. On the other hand, aesthetics focus mainly on how the body looks externally - factors such as body fat percentage, muscle definition, and size.

The Risks of Prioritizing Aesthetics Over Health

When individuals exercise solely for aesthetic purposes, there is a tendency to engage in extreme or unsustainable practices. Crash diets, excessive cardio, and over-reliance on supplements are often seen in pursuit of the "perfect" body. 

Use of anabolic steroids, especially in younger adults, has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. According to the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey of 2019, non-medical anabolic steroid use almost tripled in the 18 years between 2001 and 2019.

These practices can have negative consequences on both physical and mental health, leading to issues such as nutrient deficiencies, metabolic damage, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia.

A dirty, not so little secret, not just in the fitness industry, but the majority of high-level sports, is that performance-enhancing drugs are widespread. In addition to the aesthetic advantages, they also give a performance edge. This contributes to a very warped perspective of what is achievable and ‘normal’ for the average person. Adding to these deceptive marketing strategies, air brushed photos and filters only adds to the problem.

An additional factor to this, and I speak from personal experience from my days competing as a bodybuilder (drug free), is that when you “look your best” (shredded & chiseled) you probably feel your worst. You have been dieting for a long time, your energy levels are low, you have to drag yourself through every workout and your libido has rock bottomed to zero. Essentially, your body registers you in a famine state and thus does its best to preserve energy by minimizing its expenditure. Far from being a sex-hungry adonis, you probably just want to curl up on the sofa and distract yourself in any way until the dieting is over whilst resisting the urge to crack and binging on gallons of ice cream. This is not an optimal state of health to be in, far from that.  Your cover body fitness model will not look like that year round. Well, not unless they are using the aforementioned performance-enhancing drugs and even then they won’t maintain their ‘peak’,

The Benefits of Prioritizing Health

On the other hand, exercising primarily for health can bring about a host of benefits that extend far beyond appearance. Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It boosts mood and mental well-being by releasing endorphins and reducing stress levels. Improvements in strength, flexibility, and endurance enhance daily functioning and the overall quality of life.

Set your goals as achievable benchmarks of performance that don’t require going to an extreme instead of how you are looking, and you will likely be a lot happier. 

My mantra is to do just enough in the gym setting to reap the health benefits from it and then, if you want to move more, find other things to do in the form of sports, dance and other physical activities. 

Shifting the Focus: From Aesthetics to Long-Term Health

To shift the focus from aesthetics to health, individuals should adopt a holistic approach to exercise. Instead of fixating on the number on the scale or the size of muscles, focus on how exercise makes you feel. Set your goals as achievable benchmarks of performance that don’t require going to an extreme, rather than how you are looking.  Pay attention to improvements in energy levels, stamina, and mental clarity. Celebrate small victories such as running a little further or lifting a little heavier.

Conclusion

While there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel good, the primary goal of exercise should always be to improve and maintain overall health. By shifting the focus away from aesthetics and towards long-term well-being, individuals can cultivate a positive relationship with exercise and reap the numerous benefits it has to offer. Remember, a healthy body is a beautiful body, regardless of what may be warped societal standards of aesthetics.