Are you playing the infinite game or the finite game? 

Hopefully your answer is: it depends

Finite games have their place, these are the games you can play to win, like Monopoly (imagine the horror of playing Monopoly forever…) 

Infinite games cannot be won, hopefully you are playing a finite game with your relationships, or your health

You don’t want to play a finite game with your health

This isn’t to say that finite games can’t be included in your infinite game of health

Workouts should be finite

Anyone that’s done a 5km row will know that sometimes it can feel infinite

However, too often people take a finite view of their health, you may have done this yourself, I know I have

“Oh I’ll start in January”

As if your health doesn’t matter for months at a time

“I just need to go 100% for the next 3 weeks”

That sounds quite finite

“I need to feel like I’m absolutely wrecked after a workout, otherwise I don’t feel like I’ve done anything”

Sounds like you might need a properly planned program that includes regular testing to show your progress

Health doesn’t stop, you can’t tell your body to ignore what you do to it for periods of time and hope it doesn’t matter, it all matters

Which might sound depressing, or it might sound empowering

Depends on whether you’re playing a finite or infinite game 😉

A good way to move your view on this is to think about meeting your grandchild for the first time, are you going to be able to get on the floor and play with them?

Will you be able to play with them when they’re 5 or 6 years old?

Will you see them have their own kids?

If that’s the case, it’s time to start playing the infinite game, because there probably won’t come a time when your health isn’t important