For many, health clubs end up being collection agencies disguised as gyms. Health clubs depend on people breaking their resolutions. Health clubs attract new members to join by creating high expectations. That can be a recipe for disappointment. If something is too good to be true, it will be too good to be true. Exercise done right can be life-changing, but one must have the right expectations of what exercise can accomplish. The numbers are not very encouraging:
o 30 percent of gym members do not renew their memberships.
o Of that 30 percent, a small minority of them use the facility consistently over the course of a year
o Eleven percent of Americans are members of health clubs. There are more former members of health clubs than current members.
o What good is an exercise program where you go three times a week and do it for two weeks or two months and never do it again? This is the scenario that is reproduced annually by millions. Many are repeat offenders. The only thing that ends up being lighter is your wallet. People spend thousands on programs they don’t stick with.
o You join and then they lure you in with great packages of personal training sessions. The average stay with a personal trainer is less than six months. What if that personal trainer isn’t a good fit? Some clubs have a no-refund cancellation policy.
Solutions:
o Make gradual changes to your diet and stick to a simple eating plan that you can stick with (forever).
o Avoid overdoing it to avoid repetitive use injuries in the future. Ninety million dollars a year is spent in doctor’s offices and emergency rooms for exercise and recreation related injuries.
o Consider High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for strength as the only form of exercise you may not enjoy doing. This exercise will reverse more biomarkers of aging to a much greater degree than all other forms of exercise. No one is admitted to a nursing home for shortness of breath.
o HIIT will produce the most changes to your body in the least amount of time AND if done correctly, it gives you a measure of protection against injury. No amount of running will protect you from knee injury, but strength training can. In addition to increasing strength, muscle, and tone, HIIT will increase flexibility, resting metabolism, cardiovascular conditioning, and resistance to disease and injury. An inadequate one or one where you try to do too much leads to injury, heavy lifting, and a weaker immune system.
o With this strength training protocol, don’t see how much exercise you can handle, see what is the least amount that will produce the most change. Get adequate recovery and improve every week. A program that requires minimal time and one where you get better every week will be one you can stick to. Only do the strength training part of your exercise regimen once or twice a week. As you improve each week, you will get to where you need to be. The improvement serves as motivation for you to stick with it. Such training that produces consistent change will be difficult but doable, since the time commitment is small.
o Don’t pay a personal trainer to be by your side while you do exercises that you can do on your own.
o A personal trainer can help you avoid trial and error to find what works and avoid injury.
o A personal trainer should be able to help you through workouts that you couldn’t do on your own or are really unnecessary. Your body makes positive adaptations as a way of protecting itself from the overwhelming demands of the system. A good trainer can help you do it safely, efficiently, and consistently.
o In addition to strength training, participate in activities that you enjoy doing. You are more likely to stick with it. With a stronger body, you’ll be able to engage in more vigorous activities for longer, and this will also pay off for your health. You can have a higher quality of life and it doesn’t mean hours in the gym every week.
Six months into the new year you will look and feel better. You’ll be stronger, more flexible, have more energy, and be less prone to injury. Better eating choices, an active lifestyle, and a bit of strength training is a program that most people can follow, and it can have profound effects on fitness and health.
