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The rising sun begins to fill the room with soft, yellow light. Putting on my board shorts, I’m excited about getting into the water, climbing on my board, and watching the sun rise higher in the sky. It’s 5:34 AM, and I hear the ocean calling.
To wake up, to get moving like this, brings me clarity and joy. Surfing also keeps me young, strong, agile, and full of energy. This is my favorite way to start any day.
Surfing is my Active Passion. When you pursue your Active Passion, you have the key to unlocking long-term, sustainable health and vitality. It’s not a new exercise fad or the next “perfect” diet. It’s simply that physical activity that brings you so much joy, you think things like, “This is f*cking amazing” and “Why am I not doing this more?”
It can be running, SUP’ing, kayaking, snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, doing yoga, lifting weights, or hiking. It can also be playing tennis, basketball, golf, soccer. In other words, it’s any physical activity that makes you sweat and smile. Being out in nature normally is part of the equation, but it doesn’t have to be. Ultimately, it’s about moving your body and fully being immersed in the moment.
What does Active Passion have to do with your health?
It has everything to do with it. After all, what is the most important part of your health and fitness program? That you do it. That it is sustainable. That you can stick with it. That you don’t need to be especially motivated, or in the “right mood.”
When you discover and engage in your Active Passion, there’s no need to rely on willpower or discipline to stay on track. Movement becomes second nature. You look forward to it instead of dread it. Exercise becomes a healthy habit, and when exercise becomes a healthy habit, you unconsciously do it more often, and you get more joy out of life.
Joy and Sustainability – Let’s dive in deeper discussing these 2 core concepts of Active Passion:
Joy
Here’s a basic law of human nature – the more you enjoy an activity, the more often you’ll do it. And as human beings, we’re biologically hardwired to move. So with Active Passion we’re using physical activity to naturally bring about more joy. It’s about finding that activity that excites you. On the Active Passion discovery path, we’re not worrying about burning calories or anything like that, we’re just interested in an activity that gets you moving and that you enjoy.
It’s a personal exploration that might take a little time and some patience. For me it’s surfing, playing tennis, lifting weights, or hiking through nature – all things that bring me joy and make me feel good. My life and fitness plan revolve around these things. Simple enough.
This idea of joy lies at the heart of Action Passion and leads right into our next concept, the idea of sticking with something for the long-haul, the idea of sustainability.
Sustainability – Get your mind out of the “Gotta”!
Sustainability is built into the action passion – there’s no talk of “need to” or “have to”. I rise early to move my body because I want to, not because I feel like I have to. It’s this switch that occurs when you find your Active Passion that makes for an effortless, sustainable, and active lifestyle.
This is in stark contrast to the common mindset around fitness and nutrition. You’ve all heard some version of the following:
I gotta do my cardio. I gotta get to the gym. I gotta go for a run. I gotta skip meals to lose weight. I don’t “wanna” but I “gotta.”
Okay, get your mind out of the “gotta”!
That “gotta” mindset lies at the root of most failed exercise and diet programs. They rely on a limited amount of willpower and because there is no inherent drive and motivation, people engage when they feel up to it (when they have motivation), but not when that feeling is gone. Long-term health doesn’t happen overnight and in order to be successful, you need to get out of that “gotta” mindset.
Finding your Active Passion is a sure fire way to do just that.
How to Discover Your Active Passion and Train For It
Some of you might already know what your Active Passion is. If that’s the case, awesome. That’s a great first step to unlocking your ultimate health. But remember, that doesn’t mean your journey is over. Far from it. Actually, you now want to engage in your active passion as much as possible. And the best way to do that is a specific training program that focuses on the various movements and muscles that your activity requires. We can help with that.
For those who are feeling a little stuck, think about the following questions:
-When you were 10 years old, what was your favorite activity?
-If you could pick one sport you want to learn, what is it and why?
-Where do you live and what access do you have to nature? A park? Ocean? Lake? River? Hiking trails?
-If I asked 3 of your best friends what are you most likely doing on your day off, what would they say?
If nothing comes to you, you might need to just go out there and experiment a little bit. Chart out the next month and attempt 3 different Active Passions from this list below:
-Running, sup’ing, kayaking, snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, yoga, weight lifting, hiking, tennis, basketball, golf, soccer, horseback riding.
See how it goes and write down a quick description of how you feel after.
Here’s to your journey!
This piece was originally published by Saltwater Fit. For more posts like this check out the Saltwater Fit Blog here.
