Appearance, performance or health....the modern tussle of fitness goals

Good health is something that we all strive for, the holy grail that will help us enjoy long and prosperous lives. The question is, do we understand what good health is? 

In true essay fashion, I'm going to present my conclusion first and then try and explain why. I'm going to suggest that we don't understand good health. I'm also going to suggest there is not one single authority on the face of this planet greater than you able to help fully identify what your personal jigsaw of good health should look like. Because this is the thing - good health is a jigsaw, it's a matrix of many things and, it changes as well. Good health for you as a teenager would differ to good health for you in your forties. There are certain things that we can measure in health, and there are other things just as important that we can't. You can measure the health of your heart, your lung function, how strong you are, how high you can jump etc.… but can you accurately measure your happiness? I ask this because I'm certain we can agree how important your happiness is to your health. 

The reason I’m confronting this point is that working in the fitness industry, it strikes me that people ultimately want good health (I've certainly never met someone chasing bad health). However, the reality of health alone perhaps isn’t as appealing as losing weight, ‘shredding’, bulking up or being the strongest, fastest or best in a particular field. Ironically it really should be, but there’s little thrill in sustaining good health compared to dropping a dress size or hitting a PB. 

This kinda thing is becoming increasingly common on social media...motivational?? (this isn't me!)

So, why is there a tussle and what separates appearance and performance with health? Confusingly I'm going to suggest there is separation between the 3, but also connection. In my opinion, performance and appearance are related to health but the more extreme they become, the further you move away from health. We idolise sporting athletes but the reality of top level performers is that it’s very extreme, almost beyond health if you like. Many retired sportsmen and women suffer lifelong injuries, health implications and even psychological issues due to the intensity, physical demands and pressure of performing at the top. 

Working in the fitness industry I would say that most people’s goals fall into the categories of appearance and performance,and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Without question we can measure both of them very easily and therefore determine whether or not someone has achieved a goal. This is more than just useful because it helps us as professionals understand whether or not a particular regime is effective, and it removes the subjective human nature of opinion. Another really positive factor is that having trackable goals and actually seeing progress will help generate excitement and perhaps get someone interested who previously had little motivation. However, there’s something deeper that we as an industry need to be aware of and have a responsibility for. As discussed already, the most appealing goals are often losing weight, ‘shredding’, getting massive etc and that is exactly what we sell as an industry. Marketing gurus get paid by the bucket load to appeal directly to the emotions that will make someone get their wallet out and pay. We use strong and aspirational images to give people a vision to work towards. Ultimately, what we are promoting is “be something that you’re not”. Can you see the danger? 

In the world we live in where so much importance is attached to image, appearance and social identity we need to be mindful of how we potentially impact a person’s relationship with their health, their body, with food and exercise. 

Returning to the definition of health. I would describe health as a balance of a number of aspects that lead to an overall positive state of wellbeing. However, we as an industry can be guilty of presenting an image of health being regular intense exercise, having rippling muscles and knocking back protein shakes at every spare opportunity. Is this really good health? 

As fitness professionals we must keep health at the heart of what we do but when setting yourself personal goals, you need to keep it at the forefront of your mind because when all is said and done, health is what really matters (physical AND mental). Goals are great little markers, milestones and opportunities to benchmark but they’re also temporary and often pretty superficial. Importantly, and irrespective to whatever the goal, they’re only ever a small piece of the health jigsaw. 

I could gas on for a long time on this topic but here’s my 5 top tips for making sure that your goals aren’t drifting too far from sustainable health. 

• If you set a goal, be committed but avoid attaching too much importance to that particular goal. If you don’t achieve it, it’s not the end of the world.
• Be excited by your goals.
• Make sure the sacrifice isn’t too disruptive to your life. To commit to goals we often have to make choices that impact our lives and sometimes the people around us. However, if the level of sacrifice starts impacting relationships with loved ones negatively then does the goal need revisiting?
• Take a breather between goals. We live in an obsessive culture…targets, targets, targets, timescales, deadlines…bloomin ‘eck (my yorkshireness) it gets exhausting!! Take some time to actually acknowledge your achievement and appreciate the hard work and commitment you’ve put in. 
• Avoid letting your confidence be based upon your superficial self. Easy to say right!! Self worth and self esteem should not be based upon the body you wear (and other people’s opinions) but the person you are.