Here's the last column in a month-long series for April. On May 2
nd I'll turn 40, completing my first 25 years in the fitness business. During that time, I've learned a few things that I believe are worth passing along, so that's what this series has been about. If you'd like to read the first three installments, just go to GreatShapeUp.com and click on archives.
Today the topic is fads and fitness trends. Yoga was all the rage in the 70s, but then it disappeared for 25 years. Now it's back. Everyone who broke a sweat in the early 80s was doing aerobics, and the 90s ushered in the decade of spinning classes and hiring personal trainers for weight training. From 2000 to today, the buzz is all about "core training." So what's the message here? There's something to glean for consumers and for health professionals.
Consumers first: Just because you saw a latest, greatest workout in
Men's Health or
Shape magazine doesn't mean it's for you. Some people think they're missing something if they're not doing the hippest workout from Hollywood. Yet those workouts may not even work; they may not be fun for you, or worse yet, they may cause an injury if they don't match your fitness level. When it comes to exercise, simply do what you enjoy; you'll be more likely to keep doing it. Living a healthy life is not about a magic workout. It's about creating a marriage between
any exercise that moves your body consistently and well-balanced wholesome eating.
Trainers, this is for you. Be true to yourself. Let's say your phone rings and the person on the other end wants to know if you offer the hot new foam roller workouts. While you're not sure what foam roller workouts are, you say yes and then jump on the Internet to see what to do. You may squeak by, but in the end you're not serving yourself or the clients. If you believe the surest path to fitness is with a solid program of weight training and cardio, then focus on that and do it better than anyone else.
Book Dan Polimino to speak at your next meeting or event today. For program information contact us at info@BookDan.com, visit www.BookDan.com or call 303-683-4795.