For me, minimalism, being nomadic and an effective training approach are closely related.
Less is more
Before becoming aware of how much stuff I had in 2014, I had a lot of stuff. I kept everything because you never know when you might need it.
20-year-old printer cable?
Jupp, let’s keep it, you can not buy that anymore!
Sweatpants with 2 big holes?
I mean, what if my other 20 pants are all dirty, I might still wear it.
Some notes I took 2 years ago?
Maybe I’ll discover the genius in it later!
Clearly that mindset does not necessarily lead to a better nomadic experience.
It took me a few months to scale down and sort out but at the end I was looking at a 35l backpack with all my possessions inside.
Scary but worth it!
From stuff to exercises
At the same time I was starting to take my health and fitness seriousely. I did my first sessions with a personal trainer and that kick started my passion for strength.
Luckily, he was very focused on bodyweight exercises and perfecting the basics and so I could easily apply the same principles I learned from decluttering:
- Quality over quantity
- Pragmatic and realistic
- Prioritize the essentials.
Applying a minimalist mindset to our health helps find the right tools, exercises and habits that keep us in shape. Without being overwhelmed, unfocused or spending more time than necessary.
A nomadic minimalist fitness approach
Nowadays I can’t fit everything I have into a 35l bag anymore.
It was a good experience to live and move with basically nothing a while. But my principles of “as little as possible” felt like another thing I was holding on to. So I minimalized my minimalism, relaxed a bit and bought a bigger bag.
My workouts also changed. They are a lot more playful, less rigid and honestly, more fun.
I still make sure to spend around 80% of my training time working the high-impact items while being relaxed about the other 20% being not the most optimized use of my energy.
I do believe that most people have too many unnecessary things in their training programs or routines that should be sorted out and replaced by high-quality items.
Instead of having 10 cheap cotton shirts, have 2 merino shirts.
Instead of doing random YouTube HIIT workouts, have 2 strength workouts that you progress over time.
Treat your fitness routine like your travel baggage.
Make sure you got everything you need and don’t pack more than you can carry.
