You might be wondering where the question mark is at the end of that statement above?
There isn’t one as it isn’t a question.
There is a lot wrong with the fitness industry, (of which I am part) and it’s at this time of year, and using the picture above that we see the best/worst example(s).
Look at it carefully.
Young woman. White, mostly. Toned. Fit. Abs on show. What you should want to be.
Isn’t it? Posters, magazines -they are full of this kind of image.
Don’t think men are exempt from this.
You’ll normally see a VERY muscular guy on the posters or in the magazines.
Washboard abs and guns on show.
Big lifts, hard gains, ‘do it this way to get a body like this.’
Except it’s not real. Not what you are shown, at least.
You NEVER see us normal folks on the posters or in the magazines.
A bit overweight, not as fit as we’d like, few wrinkles and some extra ‘handles’ we wished weren’t there.
People who are stressed, who have worries of many kinds. People getting through as best they can. US.
The models on the posters and the magazines, for that’s what they are, have to endure all sorts of torture to look like that, especially the ‘abs’ ones. Most likely they’ll have hardly eaten before that photoshoot to show off those abs.
Not real. Not sustainable. Not US.
I’m a 60 year old man.
Reasonable shape, reasonable level of fitness.
I teach indoor cycling classes, and I lift weights to keep my muscles and skeleton under stress (because you HAVE to in order to try to stay as healthy as possible.
I have a small hernia (a repeat of an old problem), a shoulder that niggles, a minor heart condition, and a belly.
I don’t eat too badly (although will admit to a sweet tooth), and, classes aside, I’m at the gym 2-3 times per week lifting heavy.
The belly I will lose a bit of but it’s not going to disappear. I’d have to starve myself for that and I have no intention of doing that no matter what the posters/magazines show.
I can certainly tone up more than I am at the moment and I know that will take many months of hard work. Months.
I know I can get stronger but that will take the same many months.
Of going to the gym 2-3 times a week lifting heavy.
I’m lucky that I have the time to do that. A lot don’t.
So my message to you today is to ignore the hype. The posters. The magazines.
It’s all nonsense. It’s all a sham to make you spend your hard earned.
If you have decided that you want to get healthier, then do it for yourself.
Recognise that it takes time, effort, commitment, dedication.
Don’t try to get yourself in shape based on what you see.
Understand that better health is better for you.
Better health comes in different forms.
It could be a better diet. Better movement. Actually moving instead of being mostly sedentary.
There is work to be done in all of those.
You just need to decide how much and how hard.
Too much and too hard and you will find it hard to sustain.
You won’t enjoy it.
You will question why do this?
Recognise that years of inactivity or poor eating simply cannot be changed back in weeks.
Recognise that if you find something you enjoy you will want to do more of it, not less.
Recognise that you don’t have to suffer to change.
Just change if change is what you want.
And ignore the fitness models.
