so i’m in the airport in colorado springs where i’d spent the weekend on a committee that’s designing a new certification for the NSCA: CSPS – certified special populations specialist. this is a cert that will test trainers’ knowledge of a vast array of special pops needs. if properly marketed, this should be good for one’s biz. it was definitely good to hobnob with fellow exercise pros adn learn the process – very detailed and organized – of creating a credible certification test.
anyway, i don’t write many blogs of late because i’ve been pretty busy at work, trying to make things happen. suffice it to say, between the economy and some turmoil in the local fitness business environment, it’s been challenging but not anything we haven’t managed before. so just do it, as Nike might say.
i just came across this article, hints of which i’d read in other venues on line: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9008953/New-pill-that-helps…
this is the magic bullet – a pill to get fit. what a shame! is it really something we want to create, a pill that will allow folks to remain sedentary, eat what they want, smoke what they want, and still live as if they were healthier by not doing anything to be responsible for thmeselves? most of us would say no, but then the public health aspect of the concept of keeping people healthy with just a pill, reducing overall healthcare costs as a result, is tempting. i leave it to you to consider and determine. for me, tho, i can’t help but think that many of our world’s problems result from most of us, individually and collectively, behaving irresponsibly.
but what about fitness, and a pill? can it really happen?
the short answer is yes. someday, hormones that impact weight gain and loss will be harnessed; that turn bad body fat into good body fat will be created; that preserve muscle mass and ward off disease-based inflammatory processes that cause other diseases such as cancers will be discovered or created in a lab. there will be side effects that are negative, of course; all drugs have them. only exercise doesn’t. but it’s how mankind thinks of managing the world around him. until then, if you are exercising you should continue; if you aren’t you should start up. there are reasons beyond longevity to exercise. and the basic prescription remains intact after 30 plus years of being in the field: daily cardio of 15-60 mins (more for wt loss, less if intense enough relative to your personal abilities), a touch of strength work for the legs first, mid section second (for low back pain prevention), and something for the upper body just so you can help yourself in daily living activities, and don’t smoke. there are a million ways to eat ‘right’, supplements that may or may not help in the event you don’t eat right. but ultimately our bodies are pretty adept at converting what we eat to what we need so long as it gets enough calories. but when it gets too many our bodies have mechanisms that are very efficient at storage. so eating right is really about eating just enough to keep wt up if it’s normal, or lose some slowly if it’s too much. not hard math. just use the scale. except for those with eating disorders or body image issues, this formula is pretty simple and safe.
so wait for the pill or start enjoying life as you know it now. who knows? this magic bullet may keep you lean and fit but make it impossible to enjoy sex or something we know not what til it comes on the market. isn’t it easier to just get off the couch? no.
well, i’m sorry. for you.
