Importance of Fitness especially while being Pre-Med and increase efficiency, discipline, and improve mental health

Written by: Debora Ghosh | Edited by: Arshad Mohammed

You know when you sometimes have this sudden urge or inspiration that floods your mind? That’s what I had around the time of my birthday. I craved some consistency – a form of balance and structure. So, I decided to try going back to the gym. I used to go on and off before the pandemic but not consistently. Once I got to the gym, I was apprehensive and a little intimidated, confused as to what machines to use or not. Nonetheless, I tried out whichever machines were open for about an hour and returned home. That day, I decided that if I wanted to commit to his and pursue fitness, I was gonna go to the gym everyday for that week. I needed to create a habit, and eventually, I believed it would become a part of my routine. And that’s exactly what I did. It was pretty challenging, dragging myself to the gym after a long day of school and work, but I knew that my goals were not going to fulfil themselves. I wanted to get stronger, feel better,a nd develop this healthy habit. Eventually, I began to realize I needed to change up my eating habits and started making more high protein meals at home, or at least buying meals with more protein. 

Before I knew it, I started feeling guilty if I did not go. How could I ever enjoy something that would leave me panting and huffing and puffing. Although at times, I went to the gym and was clueless as to what exercises to do and tried out random machines, at least I went. It was tough at times and often intimidating to go to the gym with people around me who seemed to know what they were doing. But, I learned to find comfort in the unknown. Beginning this journey elped me to step out of my comfort zone in an unprecedented way. Waves of thoughts such as “what if I am doing this exercise wrong” or “what if someone is judging me” flooded my brain. But, I tried to withstand these waves and realized that the gym was far from a judgemental place – everyone was simply working towards a better version of themselves. Not only did I feel like I had a newfound source of confidence, but I was able to get into the habit of going to the gym at a certain time of the day. This resulted in me having to block out chunks of my day and ensuring that I complete homework and other assignments to make time to go to the gym. Fitness had become an integral part of my life as it enabled me to become a more informed person about my physical and mental capabilities as well as limits. Pushing to failure on exercises such as hip thrusts or lat pulldowns encouraged me to strive towards greater goals in my academic life as well. This mindset of not giving up and persevering through struggles – whether it be an exercise or academic stress – had started to become a reality. From reducing my stress to staying more calm before midterms, coming to the gym felt like a sigh of relief, even through the 4 sets of 10 reps of sweat. Coming to the gym became an escape where I could focus on myself.

Seeing myself achieve personal records and fulfill goals helped me to feel more encouraged about my career goals as well. When I first attempted to do a pull-up, I was sure that I was never going to be able to get one. There was no way I could pull my body weight up – it seemed like an impossible feat. Gradually, however, I started with the assisted pull up machine, slowly making it harder and harder every week. Before I knew it, I was able to pull myself up, andI began to realize that my mind would often give up before my body could. The limits and apprehensions we create in our minds often restrict what we think our body can do.  

Becoming a gym rat helped me to gain a newfound mindset that was fueled by discipline and consistency. Blocking out times to go to the gym helped me schedule studying and preparing for the MCAT too. I felt that prioritizing my own health and fitness goals strengthened my well-being and calmness. What I admired most about this journey is that progress is slow but once I started to see progress and achieve personal goals at the gym, this source of motivation translated into a greater sense of encouragement to achieving my career goals. This greater appreciation for the importance of lifestyle has informed me about what kind of physician I aspire to be in terms of being informed about patients’ lifestyles, cultures, and contexts.