Wednesday 5th December - We Failed Again !!!

I wanted the title of this Blog to be dramatic.
Sure I might be writing a light hearted family comedy currently but I am rooted in reality each time I think of our lives and how bad the obesity problem is.

Let me explain.
Today a lady was asking me about fitness and said "do you really think you can make a difference to the obesity issues ?"
"Of course" I replied with total conviction
"I don't doubt your passion but I doubt your ability to make it happen" she smiled
"What do you mean ?" I asked as my mind spun into justification mode seeking a witty response and failing
"There are millions of people who know they are fat, know it is a health risk, but don't do anything about it, often until it is too late, so what can you do about it?" she replied

I thought for a moment and understood her question now. In fact I totally had to agree with her comments. I personally can't make anyone get healthy. I personally am not there with any friend or client 24/7 which makes my quest and their goal hard to achieve if they don't follow my "recipe".

You see losing fat, getting fit, staying healthy are all PERSONAL.
There is only one person that can make sure that happen and this is YOU.

This conversation really had me thinking.
If she was right, and I was starting to consider her position - possible, that means that the fitness industry is built on a shaky platform that gets shakier with every year. Now before you trainers / instructors / gym owners all bomboard me with emails, read on and digest. Remember to chew before swallowing !

I have no doubt that there is no greater industry that is so totally committed and passionate about "doing the right thing" more so then the fitness industry. I have no doubt that everyone that joins the industry does so with the best intention of helping others change their lives.

However I think that it is our belief system that will fail us.
WE are not able to "make a promise to get someone healthy".

Contrary to popular belief - you don't get paid to workout but you actually get paid to help others achieve their goal by facilitating their workout. Sorry for the reality check - but read on.

YOU can be the greatest trainer in the world. It doesnt mean you can help everyone. There are TV shows, there are Video's and DVD's, there are fitness centers, there are personal trainers, yoga and pilates instructors, in fact there is an expert for every single form of getting fit and healthy possible. YET, we still can't deal with the every growing number of people getting unhealthy !

WHY is this ?
What is health ?
Who determines when you arrive at a "healthy status" ?
How can we stay at this great place and not have to leave ?

You see until we can convince other's to achieve this personal belief (and that is what we really have to do), not "sell", not "trick with great marketing offers" but create a personal belief in each person that we want to help, that this "getting healthy really is a good thing", and will work, then we are just playing a number's game.

This game is designed to ensure that there are "members" joining fitness centres so that they don't have to close their businesses as they are unable to pay their bills and the wages (of the passionate believers).

Wow could this lady's question have started a revolution ?
I hope so !

You see life is really about the checks and balances that are needed to keep us real so that our dreams can actually become reality. You see there is a difference between dreams and reality.

I'm sure that when as a young boy I told my mother that I wanted to be an astronaut to which she smiled and said "yes dear" knowing that her son probably in likelihood wouldn't actually become one (a dream).

However she never laughed out loud and said "YOU have got to be kidding. YOU will never be an astronaut and will probably end up digging ditches (no offence to the ditch diggers of the world - dig on guys) because that may have been too much for a young child's dreams (reality).

In fact I'm not an astronaut. From that dream I went on to want to become the following all with the loving support of my mother - a Superhero, a Jockey, a Policeman, a P.E. Teacher, again a SuperHero, and then finally I joined the Military (Navy) where I got infected with the "fitness and health bug".

Don't despair about being a dreamer but think how you can make your dream become a reality. You see the world is full of people who will want to crush your dream.

It is a sad but true part of human nature to knock down emotionally rather than build up and support one another's dreams. I am not sure why but it is so common that they have a name for it - "tall poppy syndrome" by which they imply that so you don't get too big for your boots (try working that one out physiologically ....) we are going to keep you grounded in reality.

You hear it all the time. Joe Average comes up with an idea that he thinks is great. He tells someone who says "that will never work" which puts doubt in Joe's mind that he may not be able to do it - so he doesn't.

However I am sure that there ARE some people who will push through this barrier to reach the next level and it is this belief that we should nurture. Not the actual dream but the willingness to foster belief and hope in someone else's ability to achieve a goal. Now how can we put that into our "health goals".

Just imagine if the Wright Brothers (they started us flying for those playing the game at home), had stopped inventing when their first plane didn't get off the ground and everyone said "I told you so" or any other of the great inventors of the past who failed at their first, second or even third attempt.

You see fitness is like that. It is like a dream or goal or quest that we need to keep nurturing in others who have been faced with the doubts of success in the past.
It begins as an intangible when you start the journey. You are not able to quantify what you want or how long it will take to get there when asked, but YOU know that it must be better than where you currently are - and it will be !

Fitness professionals MUST begin to not only support and help those that come to us but also we must start to instill in them that "self belief" in their individual ability to complete and succeed on this quest.

There will be some losses along the way but hopefully we can make the losses more about fat loss then numbers of people.

I have been part of this fitness industry for nearly 25 years and still get excited by the question "can you help me?"

Hey what can I say I am a DREAMER !!!