Early in my college years, I visited my economics professor during office hours.  After answering my questions, he asked me if I had chosen a major. At the time I was undecided. He told me why he had selected economics —  it challenged him. I found that really odd. I was trying my best to find a major that wasn’t too challenging — something in my comfort zone.

Eventually, I learned. I’m thankful I had to fulfill general education requirements because they forced me to take various classes inside and outside my comfort zone. The classes in my comfort zone, while comfortable, didn’t require me to learn and grow as much as the ones that were slightly outside of my comfort zone. Plus, the skills and knowledge I learned from the classes outside my comfort zone helped me perform even better inside my comfort zone.

Fitness is just like this. It is tempting to only focus on subjects you are good at in school. It is also temping to only focus on the components of fitness you naturally excel at.

I’d like to say I made the connection between school and fitness right away, but I hovered inside of my fitness comfort zone for a while before I took a baby step outside of it. As I began to challenge myself, I found that my comfort zone grew, so I took another step, and then another step. With a more balanced exercise regimen, my overall physical fitness improved.

If you, like me, have confined your fitness efforts to your comfort zone, I urge you to take a step outside of it. You may just discover that these new skills and abilities help you live your life to the fullest. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week.