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Abstract

ivity in maintaining our health and fitness levels.Something interesting happened to me today. After a few days off from any physical activity I found myself in the stairwell.I returned from the grocery store this morning and upon entering the stairwell near the elevators, I experienced a moment of inertia.I pressed the elevator button and realized I should take the stairs, but inertia kicked in.I felt tired. I hadn’t done anything in a few days, yet I felt tired.I took the elevator.This event inspired this article.<h2 id="18e3">How do we overcome fitness inertia?</h2>I feel like I’m in a constant state of overcoming fitness inertia — a week off, a month off, three months off — whatever the case may be, I find myself trying to get back to where I was before I stopped.I have a lot of experience with overcoming fitness inertia.The first thing you need to do is recognize you’re not lazy and there’s nothing wrong with you.You’re merely subjected to a fundamental law of physics.Recognizing this law allows you to take agency over the situation, rather than to blame yourself for being lazy. Which you’re not — you’re simply at rest, and every cell in your body wants to stay that way.After we’ve recognized we are being subjected to a law of nature, we must look at the way to overcome it.In physics, there’s what’s called an “impulse,” where force and time are intertwined. It’s the amount

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of force applied in a brief period of time.We need to create an impulse to force the inertia to change.We cannot create a steady, constant, or sustained work to break the inertial forces.<h2 id="0f37">We need to start with Impulses</h2>I skipped the stairs this morning, but I created the mental impulse to take the stairs.Later that day when I took the trash out, I did not skip the stairs, and a few minutes ago, when we returned from bike riding, I did not skip the stairs.I skipped the first round of stairs this morning because I felt lazy, but walked up 32 flights of stairs since my initial impulse.Ever-increasing amounts of force in the form of brief impulses are how we overcome inertia.<h2 id="283b">Slowly increase the intensity over time</h2>Don’t start by sprinting to the finish line; you will never make it. Crawl, then stand up and walk. After walking for a while, begin to jog. After jogging, then run, and only after running, can we sprint.<h2 id="3d89">This is how we overcome Fitness Inertia</h2>By creating brief impulses of intensity and then increasing the frequency of those impulses over time.You decide what those impulses should be, but the important thing is to break the inertial forces holding you in a resting state by creating the impulse.<figure id="5463"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*8WRpaJAtSLkzSj0MC5qScw.png"><figcaption>Author’s Photo Edited in Canva</figcaption></figure></article></body>

Fitness Inertia: The Power of Impulse

Newton’s first law of Thermodynamics states that an object in motion wants to stay in motion, and an object at rest wants to stay at rest.

This is not the first recorded mention of the concept.

The Chinese manuscript, the Muzi, mentions inertia in 400 B.C.

Whoever first observed it is irrelevant.

Midjourney Image (Prompt: cartoon of Isaac Newton under a tree asleep)

Inertia’s role in our everyday life.

We are objects: we either stay in motion or remain at rest.

Previously, I published a story called “Take the Stairs,”

Take the Stairs: Elevate your Fitness to a New Level

I recently became a father. During the first few months, finding time for the gym or a run was virtually impossible…

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In it, I highlight the importance of daily activity in maintaining our health and fitness levels.

Something interesting happened to me today. After a few days off from any physical activity I found myself in the stairwell.

I returned from the grocery store this morning and upon entering the stairwell near the elevators, I experienced a moment of inertia.

I pressed the elevator button and realized I should take the stairs, but inertia kicked in.

I felt tired. I hadn’t done anything in a few days, yet I felt tired.

I took the elevator.

This event inspired this article.

How do we overcome fitness inertia?

I feel like I’m in a constant state of overcoming fitness inertia — a week off, a month off, three months off — whatever the case may be, I find myself trying to get back to where I was before I stopped.

I have a lot of experience with overcoming fitness inertia.

The first thing you need to do is recognize you’re not lazy and there’s nothing wrong with you.

You’re merely subjected to a fundamental law of physics.

Recognizing this law allows you to take agency over the situation, rather than to blame yourself for being lazy. Which you’re not — you’re simply at rest, and every cell in your body wants to stay that way.

After we’ve recognized we are being subjected to a law of nature, we must look at the way to overcome it.

In physics, there’s what’s called an “impulse,” where force and time are intertwined. It’s the amount of force applied in a brief period of time.

We need to create an impulse to force the inertia to change.

We cannot create a steady, constant, or sustained work to break the inertial forces.

We need to start with Impulses

I skipped the stairs this morning, but I created the mental impulse to take the stairs.

Later that day when I took the trash out, I did not skip the stairs, and a few minutes ago, when we returned from bike riding, I did not skip the stairs.

I skipped the first round of stairs this morning because I felt lazy, but walked up 32 flights of stairs since my initial impulse.

Ever-increasing amounts of force in the form of brief impulses are how we overcome inertia.

Slowly increase the intensity over time

Don’t start by sprinting to the finish line; you will never make it. Crawl, then stand up and walk. After walking for a while, begin to jog. After jogging, then run, and only after running, can we sprint.

This is how we overcome Fitness Inertia

By creating brief impulses of intensity and then increasing the frequency of those impulses over time.

You decide what those impulses should be, but the important thing is to break the inertial forces holding you in a resting state by creating the impulse.