Corinne Austin | Personal Training

Fix your own Health by fixing others

We are all living in a world brutalized by poor health and fitness. Our waistlines are ever-expanding, lifestyle-type diseases are plaguing us, and modern technologies are continuing to make us physically lazier. While a small majority of us are in good physical shape, and can be deemed to be consistently looking after our health and fitness, the rest of us linger back on the couch and continue to put our own health improvements in the too hard basket.

Why is good health so hard to conquer? Why is it that the majority of us still ignore our bodies cry for help? We only get one body to live in throughout this one fragile life, why do so many of us settle for something well below par? If we could order the exact body and the precise state of health that we’d like to exhibit for the rest of our lives, I guarantee that for most of us it would be far different from the one we are showing off to the world today.

There are multiple reasons, mostly psychological, why we delay in our actions to better our own state of health and fitness. But one thing we cannot control as an individual is that majority rules. We are all sheep, living in a global flock, and one after another we blindly follow along. No matter what area of life you look to, the most favoured and popular track to follow is the one that everyone else is doing. It’s easier, we get a better sense of belonging, and we’re less likely to be noticed or criticized for our decisions or our actions.

Overcoming the global epidemic of poor health must then be a communal thing. It’s no longer just about ourselves, it’s about what everybody else is doing. In saying that though, trying to modify the actions of the worlds population – in order to restore greater health in ourselves – is a mammoth undertaking, and one that cannot be conquered by any one person or group.

So, what can we do to help re-shape the entire world? How do we get to the point where majority rules, but where the majority is, instead, the fit and healthy sector of the population?

The answer may lie in starting to care more for those around you. Make your own health improvement not just about you, but about what those around you are doing. What do I mean exactly? I am talking about redefining your social experiences so that the end result is a better health choice for anyone sharing in a particular social experience with you. Here are a couple of examples:

  1. Instead of throwing a party with masses of food and alcohol for your 50th birthday, do something adventurous that gets the heart ticking. For example, hire a bowling green or book out a horse trekking venue.
  2. Instead of meeting a friend for coffee and cake, suggest a walk in the refreshing outdoors. Get out of the office or home, get a dose of fresh air and vitamin D, while at the same time discussing local fun run/walk opportunities that you could both participate in.
  3. Instead of having mountains of sugar-laden and unnecessary foods at your childs birthday party, research some healthy yet tasty ‘treats’ made from natural, raw, and vitamin-rich ingredients. By redefining the flavour of ‘treats’ you will be subtly but surely encouraging the childrens taste buds to adapt to more nourishing foods.
  4. Instead of a weekly morning tea with your work colleagues, introduce a challenge where everyone competes individually to gain the best team result. For example, how many times in a week can the flight of stairs at work be conquered. The person who contributes the most could win an extra fifteen minutes of lunch break. And the team goal would be to increase the number each successive week. Change the challenge regularly.

By doing any of the above, your friends, family, or work colleagues will admire you for thinking outside the square, and unbeknownst to many of them, you will be doing their health a favour. If we can all make an impact in a social context, whereby we target and alter the health habits of others, we will go a small way to re-shaping the healthy versus unhealthy proportions of the world. By helping others, we will be automatically helping ourselves. And we can only hope that the buzz may just catch on with others too.

For comments please email corinne@fitfixnz.co.nz