Simon Sinek has a new book just out called The Infinite Game. In it he describes the two types of formats which exist in game theory and how they relate to life. A finite game has very specific rules, boundaries and time. For example, in football the objective is to score more points than your opponent in a set amount of time while playing within the constructs of the rules. An Infinite game is one where the rules can change, and there is no set end point. The game only ends when a player chooses to stop playing. World of Warcraft is a game like this, the world exists and your character can choose specific quests to go on or which players to interact with. There is no winner of Warcraft. It's limited by your own willingness to keep going.
For me this had a particular parallel with health and fitness. We exist, and because we exist we have health. It could be good or bad or indifferent but we have health because we are alive. It's up to us as individuals how much we want to enhance or optimise our health and function. Health is an infinite game. It has no end point as long as we are able to keep playing and because of the dynamic nature of life, the rules and context of the game will change along the way.
Things like age, having a family, changing careers, injury or accident, stress and social circumstances can all change the context in which you pursue your health. This is why it's important to have a set of beliefs to help navigate you through these changes.
Here are some examples;
Ask for help
Do what you can with the body you have
Have a support network
One day at a time
Fitness on the other hand is a finite game. It involves striving for a purpose, a goal or an outcome and, depending on the outcome, this will set the rules of the game. For example, if you want to run further or faster, you will have to follow a specific training program for running. If you want to get stronger then you'll have to follow a program of lifting heavy weights. Time is an important factor to consider because will dictate the intensity of the effort required for your game.
The infinite game of health can be be dotted along the way with games of fitness and it's important to separate the two. Having a foundation in health behaviours gives you something to fall back to when you are not pursuing specific fitness goals. Rushing from one fitness goal to the next without pause for recovery and appreciation of health can be a slippery slope to burnout and a loss of enjoyment in activity. In summary don't forget which game your playing and what rules you need to be following at any given time.
Tim Douge AEP
Exercise Physiologist,
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