what does being in great shape mean to you?

[ebm1224]

lately, i've been in the car alot for work and the radio is only so entertaining. today i got to thinking about the article on nf a week or so ago. part of the article was steve and staci giving their opinion of what "being in great shape" means. while i think their answers were awesome, i started thinking about what my version of "being in great shape" is.

so here is mine...i hope you share yours too!

for me, i think being in great shape is about being able to actively participate in life...especially when the only thing you can count on is yourself.

1) being able to run from the mall to the car at the back of the parking lot on black friday when a sudden downpour happens

2) being able to walk several miles to the gas station when the car breaks down (carrying a child)

3) being able to play a pick up game of...whatever...with friends. maybe not being the most athletic or skilled...but being able to keep up with the pace of the game

4) being able to help move furniture/boxes on moving day.

i'm sure i'll think of more...but now it's your turn!

[MrHyde]

I like all of yours, so here are some on top of those:

5) being able to sprint after the guy who just stole your wallet, AND overpower him/her with your mad strength.

6) being able to go out on a 3-day, 70-kilometer hike on a moment's notice (i.e. no "I need to train for this" or "Can I make it?" thoughts).

7) being able to carry an injured friend 10 Km on your back.

8) being able to swim 5 Km to shore after your jetsky decided to give up.

9) being able to climb the wall of your backyard because you lost your keys.

10) being able to have a long activity-intense day (say, walking around all day lugging stuff under the sun) and not look and feel like a trainwreck a week after the fact.

11) being able to deadlift, bench press, and squat your former fat self's weight, and call it a "fun, low weight day".

12) being able to run 5K just because you fell like it, without any prior training.

13) being able to out-deadlift Spezzy (as if).

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

- being able to deadlift Spezzy and her 1RM together

- never having to say no to doing something because I'm not strong enough/ fit enough to do it

- being able to carry anyone I love out of a burning building

- being able to defend my home with my bare fists and a bat against any intruder

[Mb82]

To be able to run up to the 4th floor greenhouse on campus carrying 25lbs on my back without being out of breath.

To be able to ride next years local Monster Cross event and maybe not place highly but be respectable.

To be able to move my couch out of my apartment without it making me puke( like it did to me when I moved in)

50 clap push-ups

10 muscle ups

I don't know how many Pistol Squats

[helloterence]

Feeling better today than I did yesterday.

[BarefootDawsy]

2 words: human flag

[Corbab]

-being able to go all out during a 2 hour crew practice, do 200 jump squats, and still run up the hill to my car

-being able to spontaneously embark on a strenuous hike/kayak/climb without training for it

-running a mile in under 6 minutes

-rowing 2 kilometers in less than 6:30

-to squat and deadlift twice my weight, and to bench press my weight for reps

The list goes on...

[morethanjustamom]

The reasons I started working out are the same as what fitness looks like to me:

1. Being able to survive zombie apocalypse, government collapse, natural disaster, etc. This means being able to hunt, shoot, wield a machete, grow my own food, hike/run for miles with gear/food/ammo/kids on my back...

2. Being able to carry any of my family out of our home if it's burning, and have enough left in the tank to go back for the rest of them.

[Waldo]

Being confident in my ability to perform any physical task placed before me.

Being a physical fitness role model to my children and be able to meet any play demands they place on me, whether horsing around, a sports partner, running with them to the park, or being a coach for a sport they wish to do (if needed), and everything in between.

[oystergirl]

This is interesting...I love everyone's answers...

for me, being fit includes a body that feels good all the time...this is the most important thing for me because I have lived far too long where this was not the case.

Things I would love...being able to outrun my border collie or sprint to catch on of my parrots should it choose to fly off.

Swimming across long island sound ( i know a lady who is in her 70's who did this when she was 20....I would love to do it! (about 8 miles)

Lifting up my refrigerator to clean under it--my mother used to be able to do this--she was wicked strong...

oh heck, being able to do a high kick and hitting myself in the forehead...again...lol

[Atalan]

Looking good naked.

[ETFnerd]

run half the miles my father has in his 60s... it's a five digit number... and doesn't start with a 1...

[scarletleavy]

Climb mountains

[PenelopeRevelry]

Being able to do grown up pushups, quite a few, without stopping

Being able to pull myself up by my arms

Getting through an entire dance practice without losing my breath and without being sore the next day

Bikini!!!

[BadWolf]

1) Being able to go up the Trail of Doom without having to stop every few steps

2) Keeping up with my dad: imagine, if you will, a man in his 50's that delivers mail mostly on foot for 8 hours or more a day for 5-6 days a week and on his day off rides his bike more than 50 miles for fun. My dad is awesome. This is the same guy that hiked the Appalachian Trail in the 70's, calling "YO ho, Tom Bombadil!" to his friends. Nerdfitness indeed.

3) Lifting and moving things with greater ease than the guys I know that are a bit macho, but a bit out of shape.

4) Not knowing if I can do something, but not being afraid to try.

[NukeTheUnicorns]

1. Being able to perform physical labor and low-intensity tasks all day without tiring

2. Being able to perform high-intensity tasks (sprinting to catch a bus, lifting a giant compost bin at work) when necessary, without fail

3. Being able to walk anywhere I need to go

4. Being able to go on a run/to a yoga class/hiking/etc. on a whim and not wear myself out

Basically, being prepared for whatever life throws at me.

[bigm141414]

1) Being able to do the most common household tasks without losing my breath (cleaning, yard work, etc)

2) It means not having to have to medical complications that come with being obese.

3) Being able to literally pick up a girl in a bar (I think we can all agree this is the most important aspect)

[ZenGwen]

Being able to sprint for the bus

Not being self-conscious in a swim suit

Being able to get my family out of a burning building

Becoming one of those tiny old ladies who are full of energy, running around lifting weights

[Guest guest4729]

...

[aj_rock]

Great shape? Hmm...

1) Not being at risk for diabetes, CHD, CAD, MI, stroke, and all that jazz

2) All the general stuff other people said.

But no really, I consider lowering risks for whatever lifestyle type diseases to be about as important as it gets.

[ebm1224]

4) Not knowing if I can do something, but not being afraid to try.

this is my favorite - i absolutely LOVE how you said this.

[ebm1224]

1) 3) Being able to literally pick up a girl in a bar (I think we can all agree this is the most important aspect)

"did you ever notice how, when you're at the beach, if you pick up a girl and hold her to your ear.......you can hear her scream?" -larry the cable guy

(also, can someone please tell me how to quote multiple people in the same post? teh internet iz hard gais)

[bigm141414]

(also, can someone please tell me how to quote multiple people in the same post? teh internet iz hard gais)

Click the buttomn to the right of Reply with quote for multiple posts. Then click reply with quote on the last post you want to quote. Don't worry it took me 2 years to figure out what that little guy did.

[aj_rock]

"did you ever notice how, when you're at the beach, if you pick up a girl and hold her to your ear.......you can hear her scream?" -larry the cable guy

(also, can someone please tell me how to quote multiple people in the same post? teh internet iz hard gais)

1. Being able to FEEL fit when I get dressed in the morning.

2. Being able to sit down/slouch and not have to worry about rolls of fat forming.

3. Being able to walk quickly across campus (class to class, about 8min walk) without getting out of breath.

4. Being able to sprint somewhere quickly if needed without getting tired (from store -> car in the rain, etc.)

5. Being able to do 5-10 REAL pullups.

6. Being able to do 1 muscle up.

7. Being able to complete the Warrior Dash (aiming for next year!)

There are probably more, but those stand out in my mind as things I'd like to do above all else.

In the lower right corner, next to reply with quote you can select multi-quote. Select all that apply and then reply with quote the last one.

[Waldo]

[win]Or you can just copy/paste and write the bbcode[/win]