What do you think?
Joanne,
The problem is not with the fitness professionals. The majority of us know and understand the benefits of exercise and fitness in general. We also understand the effects of bad choices and I truly believe that the majority of us try to pass this kind of thinking and attitude to our clients. The problem is everything else around us. There is a whole industry of advertisement, sponsors, media, beauty and supplement products/industries that work “against” us and that is where we need to focus our attention if we want to change the current situation. Everything around us promote the perfect body which has created the current situation which is a quick “fix”. Humans are for the most part visual creatures. We judge and believe what we can see. The younger generations are bombarded with these type of images (beautiful body, perfect body, etc.) and they don’t bother to investigate any further. So, most of us have to work against this behavior and way of thinking. Everyone worries about their weight and they don’t know that weight is not the only factor to considerate when it comes to your fitness, healthy and functional level (and I’m sure we all agree on this).
Below is my philosophy and it’s how I live my life and also the way I approach and train my clients:
“At SophoFit, we believe in actual fitness, rather than the appearance of fitness. Actual fitness is the only outcome worthy of the intense training our clients commit to and endure, and it is the only path to better health of mind, body and spirit. Wisdom is only attainable when one puts knowledge to use. Our name reflects our commitment to gaining as much knowledge as possible on sound fitness principles and sharing it with our clients so they too can train wisely.”
There is a lot more in fitness than just looking good. But like I’ve mentioned before, I use my time with my clients to help them understand that and at the same time to show them a more healthy way of living. My goal is to help them understand that it’s a lifetime commitment and not just a brief moment of gratification. But, I agree with you that the change must come from us and it can only be done one person at a time :-).
Best,
Harris