Finding Your Fitness You

I have a confession to make: I hate running. Or let’s just say that I strongly dislike it and never do it. Running in gym class as a kid, I loathed every minute—my knees hurt, it made my hips sore, I felt uncoordinated and there was no point ever when I didn’t wish I was playing any other sport. When my father started taking me to the track to help me get in shape for the ski team, I still didn’t like running, but I was willing to do it to pass the test in order to make the U.S. Ski Team. When I look back at my younger self, though, I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t found skiing and I’d only tried jogging or sports that include a lot of running. I would still be in sports in some capacity, but I’m not sure that I’d be a professional athlete. The possibility that I might not be a professional athlete is difficult to even consider because—and here’s my second confession—I love training. I’m not exaggerating; I really enjoy working out. If I had to stop skiing tomorrow, I’d still exercise almost every day only because I love it so much and I’ve seen how training has changed my life in so many positive ways that I couldn’t even imagine who I’d be—and who I’d become—without it. Working out has helped me win medals and world records, of course, but it’s also turned a girl from Minnesota with insecurities just like everyone else’s into a confident woman. Exercise has helped give me the courage to chase my dreams and keep chasing them no matter the setbacks or serious injuries life throws at me. It’s made me more determined, not only to get the most out of my sport but also to get the most out of my life. I realize that most people don’t love working out, and many have to force themselves to exercise—if they even exercise at all. That makes me sad, because I believe everyone would love working out as much as I do if they only took the time and the effort to find activities that make them truly happy. I wasn’t born with some elusive gene that makes me love working out, after all—no one is. It wasn’t until I found my Fitness Me—or who I am in the gym and on the hill—that I developed the passion for working out that I have today. That’s a big reason why I wanted to write Strong Is the New Beautiful: to help you find your Fitness You, or the way of working out that will make you your happiest and healthiest. We all go on a journey through life to find ourselves as individuals, and finding your Fitness You—how you best express yourself through activity, exercise or movement—is no different. It takes time and effort.

You may have to try a dozen different machines, sports outside the gym or even those activities that aren’t traditionally perceived as exercise until you discover something that you truly enjoy. But at the end of the journey to find your Fitness You, you’ll want to exercise just as much as you like to do any hobby, and it’ll be second nature to do exactly what your body needs to be strong and lean.