Opinion Piece: The Mainstream Fitness Universe Is a Lot Like Modern Politics
Last modified 1 week, 5 days ago.
I was at a big-box gym today. . .
After sprinting my life away . . .
Looking around, I must say . . .
Seeing the television’s political play . . .
It's a lot like the common fitness influencer’s way . . .
If you have ever been frustrated while on your health & fitness journey, rest assured that someone, somewhere out there has found a practical solution to what you’re going through.
The mainstream fitness universe is a lot like modern politics, though. (Sorry, slight trigger warning here).
Popularity contests. Emotional triggering and messaging. Sleight of hand. Manipulation. Decontextualized information. Demagoguery. Empty promises. Financial waste. (The list goes on).
Politicians and political commentators go on and on about the world’s problems and the new buzzworthy issue of the day (or week).
In my honest opinion, there’s always a practical (and quite peaceful) solution. But, they have their own agenda and self interests, which causes them to either obscure or conceal the solutions, or be completely ignorant to them.
It’s very similar with fitness.
There’s always a practical solution (again, IMHO). But those who make a living off their fitness interests, also often conceal, or are willfully ignorant, to real solutions that could help people.
A highly-practical solution, as a reminder, will be to approach what you do like you are learning a skill. For example, if you were learning a new language, you wouldn’t be expecting to write the next great novel in that language in three months. Or, if you were taking up a sport, it’d be a while before you could get to the professional level (if at all). It takes deliberate practice over time to succeed.
You can do it–if you make a skillful effort.
This might sound like sour grapes, I know.
But it’s my estimation of the mainstream fitness universe as I perceive it.
Tread carefully, but remember, you can make great things happen, too.