Buddhism’s Eightfold Path is also called an eight-spoked wheel. This is a more accurate term because each part should always be considered rather than acting as a stepping stone that is left behind. The insights it presents are relevant not only to your journey towards a more peaceful life, but also to many people’s fitness journeys. Here’s how each element can guide you toward a more intentional, sustainable, and empowering relationship with movement.
Understand that your view isn’t the only one, and it might not be accurate. Practicing a wise perspective is to realize that the image we hold of something can be wrong, letting it go, and accepting what it is. Situations in life are often and easily misinterpreted, like a pile of clothes for a person in the dark. This is important in fitness because learning about yourself and how to properly exercise is just as important as the physical work. This means being open to feedback, adjusting your form, and letting go of rigid beliefs about what your body “should” look or feel like.
Ask yourself: Why am I doing this? In life some intentions are wholesome just as donating to a worthy cause for the purpose of easing others’ pain. But some come from a place of greed, such as showing kindness in the hopes that someone will do something for you.
Are you working out to feel good, or to punish yourself? Are you chasing joy or avoiding discomfort?
Clarifying your motivation helps align your actions with your values.
Ethical Conduct
Speak kindly and clearly to others and to yourself. Be genuine when speaking and do not aim to deceive. Listening is an equally important form of communication. Create space in yourself to fully hear and understand messages coming from others. Listen in a way that makes the speaker feel important and understood.
Constructive feedback builds, while harsh criticism tears down.
Also, listen to your body’s subtle cues: hunger, thirst, soreness, and cravings. They’re all forms of communication.
Do what’s truly beneficial for your situation, not just what’s popular.
If your goal is strength, wise action might mean lifting heavy with purposeful rest. Unwise action? Overtraining and ignoring pain signals.“Morality is doing what is right regardless of what you’re told. Obedience is doing what you’re told regardless of what is right.” – H.L. Mencken
How do you sustain yourself? Are the resources you use obtained ethically?
Are you nourishing your body with food and movement that support your goals? Are your actions rooted in care or control?
Mental Discipline
Where is your energy going? Are you working smarter or harder? Effort matters—but so does direction.
You can pull a door all day, but if it opens with a push, you’re wasting energy.
In fitness, this means training smart. Want bigger biceps? Don’t just row—add curls to isolate the bicep and prevent too much energy from being diverted to the primary muscles of rows (the back). Focus your effort where it counts.
Nonjudgmental observation of the present moment. See experiences clearly without screens of emotion or expectations. Notice your breathing, sensations, feelings, thoughts, and mental patterns. Bringing non judgemental awareness to my experiences while working out helps me to understand and work with my body to get the most out of my session.
Focus on one topic at a time.
Think about the importance of the task at hand; brush each tooth with care, read or write each word with purpose.
In workouts, that might be your breath, your form, or the “mind-muscle connection.”
With deep focus, exercise becomes meditation in motion.
Please take from this only what you find helpful and apply it to your life in a way that best fits you. The concepts may be helpful when applied to your fitness journey. Remember, move with purpose, awareness, and compassion.
