Health or Fitness

We were sharing a bench at a busy time in the gym the other day, and we had a conversation that went a bit like this:

Him: my doctor told me that I have a body of a 20 year old.

Me (not knowing how old he was): in a good way?

Him: I’m way off 20. My doctor says as a 17 year old, it’s unhealthy to have a body like a 20 year old.

Well I had questions, but I wasn’t going to question the authenticity of whether or not the doctor actually said that. Surprising as it may seem, it is possible that some doctors are adverse to the idea of more muscle mass and can deem it unhealthy as it doesn’t fit in the ‘norm’ or may even have unhealthy consequences.

But my main thought was how he felt about it.

Me: so what do you think about it?

Him: well it’s good and bad. On the one hand, it’s unhealthy as the doctor says. But on the other hand, I can come to the gym and lift heavy weight like crazy.

I’m not here to judge, and don’t plan to. But it’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of others. It’s a matter of perspective and a thought process of what we think or what works for each of us as individuals. So I simply asked him without really expecting an answer and didn’t get one just a thoughtful look, and continued with my next set – which one do you think is more important?

Health is important for life in general. Fitness is also important for our life, physical, and mental health and wellness. Longevity could be in question here. If a doctor suggests that one is getting in the way of the other, can they be reconciled?