Stop comparing your fitness journey to others. You wouldn’t compare an elementary school kid to a pro athlete because they are at different seasons in their athletic careers. Just because we get older does not mean we suddenly have the same fitness level as everyone our age or adults. Our age does not reflect the level of our fitness journey, and that is okay.

We need to recognize this, or some unhealthy comparison could happen.

Five reasons why you need to stop comparing your fitness journey to others:

1. Everyone has a different fitness goal. Some people’s goals are to lose weight, others to gain weight, gain muscle, or tone, etc. When we see people posting pictures or explaining their progress, they can use subjective words. For example, “I am out of shape.” Physically, we either think they look better than us or are stronger or faster, so we assume they must be in shape based on our own ability or lack thereof. But everyone’s goals are different, and we must respect that and ourselves. In shape, we might not look like other people, which is okay! There are various “in shape” levels, and as we grow as athletes, our definition of the phrase evolves with us.
2. You are on your timeline – Everyone’s growth timeline depends on their goal. Your growth timeline may look different from others, which is okay. It looks different from when you first started working out to this new season of working out. Maybe it took you three months to get into shape last time, and now it is taking eight months or an entire year. As we know, everyone has a different body type. For some people, gaining weight can be easier if they have a slower metabolism, and losing weight can look different than that of someone who has a faster metabolism and wants to gain weight. All of these components affect the rate at which you might see growth. So, focus on your timeline and progress instead of others’.
3. Your methods of obtaining your goals are different. While someone might try to diet, do a lot of cardio, get a trainer, fast, or whatever it might be, different methods can mean different timelines and different results. If someone is getting results that you are not it could be because of the method they are using. Not every method works the same for everyone.
4. Your lifestyle is different (kids, jobs, marriage vs single, entrepreneur) – some people can dedicate their lives to the gym because their schedule allows it. Others might have to get it where they can fit it. Some people might have money for a personal trainer, chef, and nutritionist, while you only can do home workouts. Some of us have been doing sports all our lives, so the mindset can be easier to get into, and we know what to do, while others are learning for the very first time. Different lifestyles mean fitness journeys that look different.
5. Do not compare where you are now on your fitness journey with the past you. Fitness is a lifelong journey and has ups and downs. If you are in a season when you are not as close to your goals as you want, breathe. The important part is that you are still trying to reach your goals and have yet to give up.

Some level of comparison is natural when used to motivate healthy behavior. But if it deters you from your goal or causes you to feel bad about yourself, you must STOP.

Let’s make progress our focus and celebrate every milestone along the way. Keep up the excellent work!