Exercise. Fitness. Vitality. They’re not the same thing.
We have a culture that is big on exercise and calls it fitness. But what really is fitness? Isn’t it about being fit, being ready to call on your body in a time of need? What most gyms are doing isn’t fitness. It’s exercise. You show up, you move, you sweat, you leave. Exercise leads to fitness, sure. But fitness isn’t the finish line either.
Vitality is.
The Vitality Mindset
Vitality is how you feel. It’s feeling dangerous, capable, and confident. It’s being able to age with grace knowing you’ve put in the work. It’s increasing the chances of being independent as you age, not dependent on someone else.
Put two choices in front of me: life to the fullest at 75, still mobile, still living, or 90 and barely functional, walking slow, needing help for everything. I take 75 every single time. And most people would. Because it’s not about living long. It’s about living well.
That’s the vitality mindset. Life is finite. And in anything, it’s about doing it to the best of your personal ability at any age. Being able to call on your body to do the things you love at any age.
Vitality Is a System
One of the first things you have to accept about vitality is it’s a formula. Vitality = Strength + VO2 Max. Two parts of the equation. Both equally important.
Separate in your mind muscle and strength. Strength can be built rapidly. Muscle takes time. At a certain age, you have to accept that building muscle is harder than it used to be. But being able to maintain the muscle you have and build strength is probably more important than building new muscle. It is a scientific fact that the body is stronger in the eccentric than the concentric. Axxiom is one of the only systems that can challenge you to your potential in the eccentric. That matters.
VO2 max is probably the most lofty of the two. It takes getting your heart rate up. No one wants to run, and walking is good, if you’re starting from zero it can actually make a difference, but once you’re past that point, it’s not going to change much. You need something more. Our mindset at Axxiom is built around both of those factors.
And maybe even more important than either one is diet. Having a great diet of whole foods and avoiding processed food is going to set you up for massive success as you age.
Technology Changes What’s Possible
Technology has revolutionized every industry it’s touched. Healthcare, finance, transportation, communication: all fundamentally different than they were 20 years ago. Fitness is in the beginning phases of that same revolution. And we’re at the front of it.
Technology allows us to work the body the way it was designed. Stronger in less time. Better oxygen efficiency without grinding through cardio. Real data instead of guesswork. The tools exist now to do what wasn’t possible a decade ago. Most of the industry just hasn’t caught up yet.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
I see it time and time again. Someone who is dedicated to their health, working out early in the morning a few hours per week, and then injury happens. They go through a couple-year cycle where they have to recover, and all along the way they’re losing strength and VO2 max.
Conversely, there are those who take their health for granted and wait until an inconvenience like an injury or a medical condition happens to change their ways. By then, they’ve lost years they could have been building.
It’s For Life
This isn’t a 6-week challenge. It’s not a 90-day transformation. It’s a lifelong philosophy that puts your future at the front of it.
Once per week. Less than 70 minutes. A system built around you. All you have to do is show up.
That’s vitality. And it’s for life.
Axxiom Strength + Vitality is a private vitality studio in Greenwood Village, CO, serving the Denver metro and Front Range. We offer a sustainable health system combining private strength training on the Kineo Intelligent Load System with CVAC adaptive conditioning and InBody 970s body composition analysis. Book your intro session at axxiomsv.com.