The difference between fitness for health vs. fitness for vanity

Can't say I've ever wanted to work in a studio that focuses on marketing their services towards making people look better above anything else, where the culture of the place is lacking in true substance. Although I've been guilty of trying to tap into this market at more desperate times with slogans like "want to look good naked", I found such practice always led me away from my true purpose.

The difference between fitness for health vs. fitness for vanity is pretty simple:

In training for health, we use exercise like medicine. We exercise in a way on any given day with a flexible approach so that we are giving our bodies exactly what they need in the moment. Exercise is not depleting and works to make our immune systems stronger, our sleep better quality, calms our nervous system and helps us also find a state of relaxation and peace of mind. We expect to feel energized after a workout, not like crashing on a couch. We look at exercise as a way to build chi, not a way to look better. If we have the energy to push ourselves harder than usual and our intuition is pointing us in this direction we go for it. If we feel depleted and our body feels leaden and heavier than usual, we let go of plans for an intense workout and work in a more restorative way. And in so doing, we will improve our vitality which will improve the way we look in the end anyway. It's easier to stay the course when choosing to focus on health because their is no end goal. It is a way of being. Focusing on physical appearance while ignoring the spiritual and emotional issues we struggle with is not about health and is dysfunctional.

In training for vanity we set goals based on an external appearance. A certain size waist, bicep circumference, dress size. The underlying focus is that "life will be better when I achieve these goals". I find that people who pursue fitness from this perspective don't stay the course because they aren't moving in a conscious way in alignment with their deepest selves. There's a shorter term end goal. Once someone achieves this goal, then what? Will they ever be happy with the way they look? Or will there be something else to work on. We might find ourselves ignoring signals from our bodies to tell us to change course. Injuries, over training, constant colds or illnesses might hit us but we ignore our body telling us we aren't helping it and instead, stay they course with an original plan that isn't actually making us healthier. The typical way men train for vanity is in overdoing chest work to compromise upper body structural balance possibly leading to shoulder injury. The typical way women train for vanity is in avoiding muscle building activities or going on heavily restrictive diets that are nutritionally insufficient. I could name a plethora of fitness gurus who tap into people's desire for this type of fitness but will bite my tongue.

So just some thoughts I thought I'd share. I've been in both camps and have decided to choose the first option for both myself, for the type of messaging I want to put out into the universe and for the way I want to work with my clients.