Due to some changes in business practices, I’m leaving the studio I’m currently training in and will be going to Bally Total Fitness in DC. I’ve heard some awful things about Bally, but I have also heard some positive changes taking place after being sued, going through Chapter 11, blah blah blah. Anyway, I hope that this will be somewhat easier than working at a studio since I won’t have to stand outside every Saturday morning handing out flyers to people who aren’t interested just to try to get them into the door. At least I’ll be exposed to people who obviously care about their health since they are in the gym in the first place.
Making this move, particularly the interview yesterday, has given me the opportunity to reflect on my fitness philosophies and practices.
Last night, I stumbled upon the C.H.E.K Institute website, which has a unique perspective and approach to fitness, which includes the spiritual aspect of health. This led me to think about what health is.
What is health? At my old studio, it was a weight, a number, a percentage of fat. Sure, we emphasized feeling better, more energized, and happier. But I could only wonder if we focused too much on the numbers.
There are healthy weights, I totally believe that. I do believe that people with a certain percentage of fat should work to lose that fat because of the health risks associated with fat carried on the body. It is possible to be considered overweight, but not be fat or unhealthy. Take athletes for example. My teammate would be considered technically overweight, close to obese, due to her height and age. However, because she carries very little fat and a lot of muscle (which we all knows weighs more than fat), her weight is not an issue and doesn’t mean that she’s unhealthy.
Losing weight is not necessarily the answer to becoming “healthy,” but losing fat should be the focus of a program where becoming healthy is the goal.
So why do we focus so much on what we weigh? The way we determine health is often through weight. You can’t assume that because you weigh a certain amount that you are unhealthy. You have to look at the composition of that weight.
When I begin to approach people at Bally, I will ask them what they are working on today, what their goals are, and why. I want to know what makes people focus only on losing weight instead of losing fat and building muscle. You can still lose weight, and feel happy about reaching that goal, but still carry too much fat. Lose fat, build muscle. I don’t really care about what the scale says, just as long as your body composition improved to more muscle and less fat. I’m more concerned about getting you to be able to walk flights of stairs without getting out of breath. I want you to be able to toss your baby or toddler up in the air and catch them without difficulty and injuring yourself. I want you to be able to determine what a good food choice is. I want you to embrace the lifestyle that has given myself, and so many other people, the ability to enjoy life to the fullest.
So I guess I have examined my role as a personal trainer, and have accepted the fact that I am an educator. I personally help people change their habits and teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle. My focus will not be on weight, but on overall changes in health.
Good Morning,
Dr. Wayne Andersen’s book, Habits of Health, is set for release late July, and we already have a group of participants from around the U.S. who are reading the book and following the program. They are blogging about their experience on http://totalhealthdifference.blogspot.com/ Dr. Andersen has a list of topics and story ideas he could submit to you, and he would love to have the opportunity to be a guest blogger on slimpossible if you are interested.
Dr. A would be willing to blog on any topic you like. Would you like us to come back to you with a few suggestions, or are there some topics you want covered that you already have in mind? I have not started doing any media relations yet, but I did attached the press release I have written (below) to give you some background on Dr. A and his credentials. He could blog about a chapter from the book, top-of-mind subjects, what ever you think is most interesting.
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
–
Savanah Maurtua
Social Media Research Associate
Cobalt Communications Group
P. 208-721-2808
E. savanahm@cobaltcg.com
Web: http://www.Cobaltcg.com
Blog: http://www.CobaltSocialMedia.com
New book, Habits of Health, hopes to inspire optimal health revolution
Dr. Wayne Andersen seeks to provide the tools necessary for people to thrive in health
ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 25, 2008 – A new book due out this summer, by well-respected physician Dr. Wayne Andersen, seeks to take a revolutionary approach to creating optimal health and weight management by offering common sense advice and direction, supported by proven, medical data. In his book, Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen, a board certified critical care physician, does not advocate fad dieting or a miracle wonder cure; rather, it provides the knowledge and support to help people achieve optimal health. The book seeks to offer an easy guide to establish long-lasting, improved health.
“Too many people assume that if they are a reasonable weight and not sick then they are healthy overall, when that simply isn’t the case,” Andersen said. “Only 5-7% of Americans have achieved optimal health, and optimal health involves much more than weight and treating illness. Optimal health involves a person’s eating strategy, sleeping patterns, movement, stress levels, etc.”
Habits of Health seeks to help people to be the healthiest they can be with what they have. Through his book and the accompanying workbook, Dr. Andersen provides a roadmap and an opportunity for people to choose a better life.
“This book stresses the fact that achieving optimal health is an active process, and it is reminds people that the small things we do every day make all the difference,” Andersen said. “Everyone has the fundamental choice and opportunity to choose a better life for themselves, and in this book I show them how to do that. I want to show people they have the power to create optimal health within themselves.”
The book is available for preorder at the beginning of July and will go on sale in bookstores nationwide end of July.
Visit http://drwayneandersen.com to learn more and purchase Habits of Health.
Dr. Wayne Andersen
Dr. Andersen graduated from the University for the Health Sciences medical school in Kansas City, where he was valedictorian of his graduating class. Dr. Andersen became the tenth physician Board Certified in Critical Care. For 18 years, Dr. Andersen directed the Surgical Critical Care Program at Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, and was Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Andersen is currently Medical Director of Medifast, Inc., an innovative leader in the production, distribution and sale of weight management and health management products. As the chief architect of Take Shape for Life, Dr. Andersen has built an integrated support system that helps people make the necessary changes in their lifestyles to create optimal health. Dr. Andersen provides leading nutritional solutions, medical support and the support of caring individuals, to provide the necessary one-on-one interaction so vital in changing peoples’ lives. Dr. Andersen resides in Annapolis, Md.
Good luck at the new place. And I really like your examination of what exactly health is!
Thanks Sagan! It’s amazing how change forces you to reflect on your beliefs and values.
such a good post and youre right on.
you are an educator now—-and thank goodness for the rest of us that you are willing to take on that role!
Thanks for the comment MizFit. I wish more people would recognize that role within their jobs. It’s more than counting reps
I think we are finally seeing a shift in the fitness industry away from exercise for appearance towards exercise for health.
As the boomers begin to enter their senior years, their focus is beginning to shift from their abs and butts and towards their longevity and quality of life.
I have found that role as educator becoming easier. The older folks are willing to listen
Good luck at Ballys.
http://www.fitnrg.com is a calorie counting website that lets you track your workouts, activities, diet and weight, and has a large community of fitness minded members.