Working Out for Personal Growth | Sal Distefano

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Do you work out? Do you want to work out but don’t know if it’s right for you or how to get started? Here’s a little secret. Working out isn’t punishment. It’s a powerful tool for personal growth.

WELCOME TO THE DARIN OLIEN SHOW

Sal Distefano works out. But it’s not to get buff.

However you look at it, Sal is a fitness machine. And although he did start working out as an insecure teen in order to look better, it turned into so much more. At the young age of 18, he became a personal trainer. Then, he quickly climbed the ladder to become the general manager of his local gym. It was there that he discovered the sales and marketing aspects of fitness. These skills eventually helped him open his own wellness facility where he continued to master working out and helping others learn how to do so. 

But an unexpected health crisis sparked Sal to change his perspective on exercise altogether. Instead of doing it for the gains, he began to look at the journey of fitness and the personal growth that comes with that. Now making health a priority over muscle size, Sal helps others see the power of working out on the mind, body and spirit.

You guys already know that working out is a mental, emotional and spiritual outlet for me. I try to work out in nature– lifting boulders, sprinting up hills and letting the Earth guide me. So obviously, Sal’s perspective on fitness resonates with me immensely. A lot of people work out to lose weight or to appease an insecurity they have about themselves. And if that’s what brings you to the fitness world, that’s totally ok. But Sal stresses the personal growth journey that comes with the commitment to exercise is much more rewarding.

In this episode, Sal and I nerd out about fitness. But we also get into the deeper stuff, like the necessary role of pain in your working out journey. We also get into the obesity epidemic in the US, and why we need to change peoples’ perspective on regular exercise. Working out shouldn’t be a quick fix to lose those extra 16 pounds. It should be a lifelong commitment to growing as a person- physically and mentally.