Hey everyone! Today I wanted to share with the piece I had published today at The Federalist, titled “What Fitness Tells Us About Conservatism’s Appeal.” This post does discuss political ideology — something I really steer clear of here on the blog.  It may be something you find thought-provoking or discussion-worthy — and I’m happy to engage that in the comments if interested. I welcome open conversation and have an open mind about many things. I prefer to keep it positive and respectful of all viewpoints.  If this isn’t your thing, feel free to skip. I’m copying the first bit here and then linking out to the full piece. 

Eliminate the politics and nearly everyone of any partisan stripe idealizes conservative principles without realizing it. 

How? Consider the world of sport and fitness. It’s nearly always a fantastic encouragement of individual expression and ability while also promoting a positive community at large. Those hard working, disciplined, don’t-give-up mantras have become more prominent in the last few years as America’s athletic personality has swelled with amateurs. 

Mentally tough and intuitively conservative-minded concepts of hard work and personal responsibility accompany these ventures. 

Getting in shape isn’t just a chore — it’s morphed into some serious lifestyle trends. Since 2005, the number of people running marathons has nearly doubled for women and increased by 50% for men. From 2012 to 2013, participation in the CrossFit community has nearly doubled as well. Boutique fitness studios like Soulcycle, Solidcore and Barre have popped up on every street corner — and classes like Zumba & Barry’s Boot Camp fill many a Saturday morning calendar date. 

Famous, inspirational quotes adorn many t-shirts, Pinterest boards and Facebook walls as people gear up for races or adventure-seeking treks up their own personal mountains. While the number of Americans participating in non-traditional sport may have increased as of late, these disciplined, dream big principles have always been present in the fitness world.

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