Sometimes the fitness industry is so turned upside down! Just like #ElfDobby here, being a little confused as to how to use this TRX suspension trainer!
Here are 3 biggest lies the fitness industry has told you!
Follow this nutrition program for 30 days and you’ll look like me!
According to an article from the Huffington Post Americans spend $60 billion dollars plus annually on diet and weight loss products, being bombarded by awful marketing messages. (Although some people took it a bit too far recently with the Peloton commercial. OMG, maybe the girl just likes to work out and her hubby thought he’d surprise her with a gift of spinning at her fingertips!) Ladies, we keep searching for the magic pill. It doesn’t exist, over the counter anyway!
I digress…Whole30, Isagenix, Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Carnivore, Beach Body, Optivia…there are so many out there, it’s no wonder everyone is confused. Look, they all work until they don’t. Usually what happens is you get so tired of “being good”, you give up completely and overindulge on everything you have missed out on and perhaps start binging. Don’t get me wrong, these programs have their value. Sometimes you do need a reset or a way to reel yourself in for a couple of months, but find a way to eat that works for you daily. Create a way to eat for life ‘most of the time’. The best thing you can do for yourself is be mindful of what you put into your body and to have a plan. If you want your car to be in tip top shape, give it optimal fuel! Your body is no different! But do stay off the scale! Find that pair of jeans that fits just right, as the song says, until they don’t and reassess your recent lifestyle habits until they feel comfortable again!
Please don’t use Social Media aka Instagram and Facebook fitness “professionals” as your source for visual reality!
This 42 Day Challenge will get you fit!
All of these quick fix challenges are just that…challenges. If you haven’t exercised for the last 10 years, it’s going to take you a bit longer than a month and a half to get your game back on! If you let a car sit in a garage for too long without running it, the battery dies and it will most likely get a little rusty. The same holds true with exercise. Don’t let your battery die! There is no such thing as taking time off from exercise! Exercise should be part of your day! Every day you should move your body in some way! Also, realize that the way you exercised when you were 25 will not be the same as when you are 55! Lastly, if you jump into a short-lived challenge and go balls to the wall, chances are, you are going to get hurt. Ease yourself in and train smarter not harder! Massage and active recovery will be more important to build into your fitness regimen as you get older!
Cardio and High Intensity Interval Training are the only ways to lose weight.
Wrong, if you lift heavy weights and eat well, you’ll lose body fat and your shape will change. As we enter our middle aged years, it’s even more important than ever to lift heavy weights. Important for not just our waist lines, but our bones as well! Try a mix of training, including yoga/recovery, strength training, and cardio…and oh, by the way, you can train your heart by lifting weights too! Try doing some total body movements or complexes like clean and presses, turkish get ups, and kettle bell swings. Also, did you know exercise is a stressor to the body and creates the stress hormone cortisol? So, if you are beating your body up by running all of the time or other very intense forms of exercise frequently, you just may be doing a disservice to your body AND your mind by placing additional stress on your body! One way to add in less stressful training is to get outside and ride your bike, talk a walk or a hike or try a water sport. It’s also great for your mind!
The fitness industry is great at marketing! The definition of marketing is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services! With social media in our faces every moment of every day, be cautious and informed about where you spend your health and wellness dollars!