600 Days Later—I Think I Finally Get It.

I wasn’t always someone who loved movement.

I was okay at badminton. I loved skipping. I wanted abs as a kid and even started working out in my bedroom at 15, but I never stuck with it.

Then, in 2021, I had a foot injury that left me unable to walk for over six months.

And for the first time, fitness wasn’t about aesthetics. It wasn’t about abs. It was about the simple ability to move, something I had taken for granted my entire life.

In 2023, on my birthday, I joined the gym.

A close friend, who had been training every day for six years, pushed me to sign up. He used to inspire me so much, and that was the only reason I started.

Since then, I haven’t looked back.

I get it—starting can seem hard. Staying consistent can feel impossible.

But if you’ve ever thought about getting fitter, about feeling better in your body, about actually enjoying movement, here’s what made all the difference for me:

1. Stop overthinking and just start.

I spent years thinking, I’ll start when I’m ready. I saw the gym as intimidating. Truth is, you’re never ready. The first day will suck. The second might too. But you’ll get stronger, and one day, you’ll actually look forward to it.

2. Lifting heavy changes everything.

It’s not about getting bulky, and it’s not gender-specific. It’s about getting strong. It’s about feeling your body get better every week. And when you start hitting new personal bests, the gym stops being a chore. It becomes something you want to do.

3. Food isn’t the enemy.

Eating whole, unprocessed food changed how my body functions. That alone makes me more mindful of what I eat—not because I track everything, but because I feel the difference. Keep it simple. Eat to feel good. Eat to train better. Everything else falls into place.

4. Motivation is useless.

Some days, you’ll want to work out. Some days, you won’t. Go anyway. The gym doesn’t care about your mood. Show up. The results come from that.

5. You won’t have to sacrifice your life.

People say fitness means missing out on social life. That’s a lie. You just start prioritizing movement because you want to, not because you have to.

6. No workout has ever made me feel worse.

Even on bad days, even when I don’t want to go, I leave the gym feeling better.

7. Consistency is easier than you think.

The first step is the hardest. Then, you start feeling the difference. Then, you see it. And after that, there’s no going back.

Fitness isn’t about looking a certain way. It’s about knowing you’re capable of more.

Almost two years in. Still showing up.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign—this is it.

Fitness forces you to think beyond the little voice in your head—the one that says, stay comfortable, do it tomorrow, it doesn’t matter.

You learn to compete with yourself. To ask for more from yourself, without needing external validation.

When you’re fit, everything changes. Clothes don’t matter. You just look good. Your face changes. Your energy shifts. You carry yourself differently.

And whether you realize it or not, you’ll start influencing the people around you. They’ll take fitness seriously. They’ll start eating cleaner. You’ll start thinking clearer. And somehow, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, every day still feels like day one.

So go lift. Or run. Or do something. But go heavy on some form of movement.

It changes everything.

That’s it for now.

PS – If you need an accountability partner, count me in.

- Kanishka