Fitness Beyond the Gym: A Tale of Two Lifestyles

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Fitness doesn’t have to happen in a gym. In fact, for many people, it’s woven into their daily lives.

Take "Mick" and "Al", two men in my family, both in their late 60s.

Mick is a gym-goer. Three times a week, he spends 40-60 minutes on the elliptical, followed by a weightlifting routine he’s been doing since his 30s—mostly upper body. Outside the gym, he works part-time as a consultant, spending long hours at the computer and in meetings.

Then there’s Al. He never sets foot in a gym, but his life is full of movement. He gardens, hunts, and cooks—each requiring strength, endurance, and agility. During hunting season, he hikes rugged terrain, carrying heavy gear and hauling what he brings home. In the garden, he’s lifting bags of soil, kneeling, planting, and tending to his plants. In the kitchen, he’s hoisting heavy pots, reaching for top-shelf ingredients, kneading dough, and stirring thick batters.

Al doesn’t have a workout routine, but he has a movement-rich lifestyle—one that naturally includes lifting, hauling, walking, squatting, and getting up and down from the ground. The kind of movements that maintain strength and mobility for life.

So who’s fitter? Mick, with his structured workouts, or Al, with his ever-changing physical demands? I’d argue it’s Al. His movement is more varied, dynamic, and practical—closely mimicking the way humans have moved for centuries.

As fitness professionals, we can advocate for exercise while recognizing that it doesn’t have to happen in a gym. While structured workouts work for some, others get all the movement they need from their daily activities. And that’s okay. Instead of prescribing fitness in one specific way, let’s recognize the many ways people stay strong, mobile, and active—whether they’re lifting weights or lifting bags of soil.

After all, fitness isn’t just about what happens in a gym. It’s about how we move through life.