In the past 10 years the exercise industry has become ‘trendier’ and has been filled with more workout fads than in the 1970s when the fitness boom started. As a little history, physical fitness started gaining momentum in the 50s with President Eisenhower’s Council on Youth Fitness and then continued with JFK’s emphasis on physical activity. The real fitness craze started in the 1970s as people took up aerobics, isometrics, and especially running. Box gyms and having home gym equipment started gaining momentum in the late 90’s and here we are almost 20 years later with a multi-billion dollar fitness industry and specific workout crazes like Soul Cycle, Cross Fit, & Zumba Nation. Let’s not even get into all the fitness stuff you can buy at Lululemon, Fabletics, and the abundance of protein supplements found on supermarket shelves. Fitness has become very commercialized, marketed, and shiny so it’s important to proceed with educated caution for your health and your wallet’s sake!
In the last 10 years since I’ve joined the industry I’ve seen fads ranging from eating only cabbage soup for 10 whole days to doing an ab exercise only 20 minutes a day three days a week so you have the chiseled abs you’ve always dreamed of. These constant fads lure in people struggling with weight and body image issues promising them a simple quick fix. Unfortunately, the creators of these fads are gaining quick and easy money while the followers are losing heart. We’re now faced with a mass population not fully understanding what fitness and health is really all about.
Fitness, health and wellness is a choice, and I think it’s a great choice!! But it’s not just an eight week choice of working out 30 minutes a day with your favorite TV shirtless trainer oiled up to the gills and hopping around. It’s not some girl in a sports bra and tiny shorts pushing the ‘Fat Burner 100’ supplement pill. If you fall into these traps you’re bound to lose your motivation quickly after you turn off the TV and put your body, mind, and heart at risk.
Fitness and health is a lifetime commitment and a conscious choice to take care of your body, your mind and in turn, the ones around you. It’s not easy, but it is definitely worth it and the benefits of being active and eating healthy are unmatched. Fitness is what your body needs and subconsciously craves because humans we’re meant to climb mountains and run, jump and experience the fulfillment of hard work, not just the simple fad fix put in front of you. So remember to look past the flashy marketing and short-term empty promises. Make it your lifelong choice to stay healthy and active.
Come join me at Sculpt Fitness in Farmington, CT for a free consultation on our balanced approach to health, exercise, and nutrition, a sustainable program for the long-term.
-Ben Dubourg, CPT