The Sensations of Fitness
What if fitness was measured subjectively, by you, based on physical sensations you have? That would have advantages, wouldn’t it? No more external judgment, only internal experience.
Debbie Rosas, creator of Nia Technique holistic dance fitness, observed that there are five “sensations of fitness”: Flexibility, Agility, Mobility, Stability, and Strength. Watch this short demo:
FLEXIBILITY feels like muscle elongating along bone.
AGILITY feels like stopping and changing direction.
MOBILITY feels like moving freely, smoothly and with ease.
STABILITY is a sensation inside balance; it feels like rest on the spot you’re balancing on.
STRENGTH feels like muscles packing in around bone.
I’m going to add a sixth one.
STAMINA feels like faster than normal breathing and heartbeats, which you consciously choose to continue.
These are bodily sensations, not quantitative tests that one tries (and fails?) to pass. You can’t fail these. You can experience these sensations all day long, no matter what you’re doing.
While reaching for something high up, sense flexibility in your arm. Don’t judge it, sense it. Experience it.
While walking, sense what mobility feels like throughout your body. Which joints are moving more, and less? What does your walking rhythm feel like? Where do you sense ease?
While standing in line, sense stability as you wait.
While lifting something, sense strength - where exactly are your muscles packing in? What does it feel like?
Whenever you are breathing hard but keeping going - what does that feel like?
Seeing fitness as sensations rather than performance is a revolutionary concept that makes YOU the ultimate authority on your own fitness. As you exercise more and become more familiar with the sensations, you will notice changes in your body long before they become outwardly visible. You get to take credit for incremental changes that only you can feel.
And why not? You deserve to celebrate your successes. All of them. Even little tiny ones. Noticing incremental progress and congratulating yourself for it - in all realms of your life! - is part of good mental health!
