"Fit for What?" Rethinking the Meaning of Fitness

You wouldn’t believe how often I hear this from new clients:

“I’m not really a fitness person." or “Fitness just isn’t my thing.”

And honestly? I get where they’re coming from. Over the years, the word fitness has taken on a pretty narrow, intimidating meaning. For a lot of people, it instantly brings to mind the version that society has redefined it to mean. A visual ideal, an aesthetic, a specific type of lifestyle or identity. If that’s not your vibe, it’s easy to think: “Well, fitness just isn’t for me.”

But here's the thing: most of the people saying this are fitness people. They just don’t realise it.

So… what is 'fitness', really?

Let me take you back to something I did during a women’s coaching certification a few years ago. We were asked to do a simple task: Google the word fitness and look at the image results. Want to guess what came up?

Sculpted bodies. Sports bras. Abs. Sweat. Torture. Running. Lifting heavy. More abs.

It painted a very clear picture: fitness equals aesthetics. Fitness equals hard work. Fitness equals intensity.

That view is not only narrow, but it’s also totally missing the point of what fitness really is.

A better definition of fitness

Let’s reframe it.

Think about a Warrant of Fitness for your car. The point isn’t for the car to look good, it’s to make sure it can safely and reliably get you from A to B. It’s about whether it can do its intended job. The same applies to the human body. Fitness is your body’s ability to carry out it's intended purpose safely, confidently, and consistently. That’s it.

And here’s the beautiful part: you get to decide what that purpose is.

But if we go by society’s default definition, fitness equals appearance. When 'fitness' = appearance, it implies that our body's purpose — it's function — is to be looked at, not lived in. And that feels like we’ve missed the point entirely.

So lets take ownership of our own definition again and ask ourselves - fit for what?

• Do you want to be fit enough to carry your groceries without back pain?

• Or fit enough to chase your grandkids at the park?

• Or maybe you’re looking to get back to work after an injury.

• Or reduce your risk of fractures or heart disease.

• Or hike mountains on the weekend with your partner.

• Or feel mentally strong enough to back yourself in life and take on the challenges thrown your way.

• Or yes, even run a marathon, if that’s your goal!

  
  

Whatever it is, that is what your fitness journey should focus on.

Let’s not confuse aesthetics with health

Now, I’m not here to throw shade at six-packs, but when we start believing that looking fit is the same as being fit, we get into murky territory. And often, it leads people to feel like they’re failing, or worse, like they’re not even allowed to use the word fitness unless they’re lifting heavy, running fast, or dropping body fat. That couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, most of the people I work with are doing fitness in a much more meaningful way, whether they realise it or not.

"Fitness" is personal. Purposeful. And yours to define.

In my work as an Exercise Physiologist, this is really the heart of what I do: help people figure out what they want to be fit for, and then build a plan to get there. So if you’re unsure about your own fitness goals, or feeling stuck, try asking yourself this simple question:

What do I want to be fit for?

The answer might surprise you. And it might just change the way you think about fitness altogether.