Into the 21st century and we really have evolved in healthy living, yes I am being sarcastic!
As time has evolved so has the technology; GPS Maps, ordering online to your door.
It saves time right?
If you have a disability and are unable to walk, services like online shopping are so ideal.
If your anything like me and have difficulty reading maps a GPS is great.
But you would also expect the levels of obesity worldwide would not be at a high percentage, right?
I can only speak from my time frame here and this is through seeing years of what I will mention.
As a teenager, the popular magazine for teens was ‘Just 17’.
Beautiful airbrush teen models with a body to die for page after page staring at teens.
Surprisingly, a lot of teenagers were lead to believe this is how they were meant to look.
In one sense at that time period, it highlighted eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia.
Through this more research has been done, and now offers more information to teenagers and older women who suffer from these disorders.
Let’s look at now
In this day and age, there’s more food variety, this includes processed foods, quick-fix solutions to save time on cooking a scratch meal from start.
If that wasn’t bad enough, we have moved away from the 2 weeks bikini diet, now to the famous 90-day challenge.
Now the new craze, the 90-day challenge offered by fitness professional advertising on Instagram & Facebook.
To worm people in, they offer you trials of their exercises plans which is a repeat from years back.
On top of that, they offer you a nutrition plan that 90% of the time they pay from providers.
What a 90-day challenge really means?
So a fitness professional gives you a challenge to complete, in your face their perfect tone body staring at you.
You immediately think, hey they have this toned body all through a 90-day challenge I want the same.
I bet you anything they didn’t achieve that in 90-days!
The most likely answer is years of training, or if they are lucky enough to tone quick.
Then there’s the other equation, of eating pretty clean and never indulging on rubbish foods.
Just the other day I was looking through my timeline on Facebook and noticed a couple of adds.
The adds were from fitness professional offering 30-day challenges that go on to 90-day challenges.
Some were even offering the 4-weeks challenge, you guess it turning to the 90-day challenge.
I had to take a look at the pages and notice that they were all doing the same tactics.
To start with a 30-day challenge went to a 90-day challenge, with it food plans were provided.
Did I mention the food plans were separate to purchase?
So that’s an additional cost added, together with their 30-day challenge that’s free.
Caption, you don’t need a gym to tone but if you follow the challenge and the meal plan, you to can have that body!
Yes, I clicked onto their websites and wasn’t surprised to see there was a lot out there!
Some offered a full meal plan you pay for or gave you a free plan to entice you to sign up and pay monthly to their services.
When you add this all up, you could afford 2 months gym membership.
Reality
Realistically it’s great to encourage people to get healthy, especially with the overgrowing rate of obesity.
I won’t argue that!
My point is this, after the 30-day, 90-day challenge it’s like your saying you done your bit done deal!
I just feel that this is sending a wrong message, on the other hand, is great to get people moving.
Novices on the subject of getting that healthy lifestyle back, however, believe it only takes 90-days to do so.
You are probably thinking how do I know that right?
Simple, I have encountered several clients that I have trained who don’t have a clue and have gone on 90-day challenges.
Yes, they have started off on the right tracks, but if they were that good they wouldn’t be coming to me.
The missing key factor here, no education has been given except what their eyes see.
90-day challenge, a toned body I will have that, really!
Breaking it down plain and simple
ok, 90-days is up, what next?
Exactly my point, that as health professionals we should be promoting health & fitness as a lifestyle not a challenge.
The challenges should be merely focused on how far one has come to the building months.
Examples: in one month I cut out processed foods, the next month I cut down on alcohol and so on.
Challenges only apply if you are mentally doing so daily to better yourself.
One final thing to question:
- If 90-day challenges are that great and get the desired results, why hasn’t this theory been used to combat obesity?
- Ask yourself this after 90-days challenge will this entice you mentally to lead that healthy lifestyle?
- In your 90-day challenge did it educate you on living a healthy lifestyle for the long run?
- Lastly, don’t you agree health professionals should be promoting health & fitness for the long run, not 90-day challenge?