By Amy Husser
Physical fitness is a chore.
It’s work. It involves effort. It involves sweat. It often involves pain.
Today’s generation is all about the fitness craze. There is constant talk about eating right, working out and keeping fit. Red Bull keeps us moving and yoga gear is the latest fashion trend.
But we are also the generation of fad dieting: Atkins, the South Beach Diet and the Zone, just to name a few. It seems we would rather find a quick and easy solution rather than put any effort towards improving our health.
But athletes are different, right? After all, they rely on physical fitness to make a living.
Last month, a U.S. federal judge ruled that the Q-Ray bracelet, with its supposed pain-relieving qualities, merely had a placebo effect on its wearer and had no medical benefits.
The ruling said it was “simply an interesting piece of wrist jewelry.”
The bracelet is a piece of twisted metals that form a C-shape, with two balls on each end that push against the inner part of its wearer’s wrist. This is supposed to relieve pain and align the body’s natural balance using ions.
The judge ordered QT Inc., who began manufacturing the bracelets in 2000, to refund $22.6 million to the more than 100,000 people who bought the product.
Included in this group were a number of professional athletes.
Q-Ray bracelets are especially popular amongst golfers, baseball players and runners. Sanya Richards, currently the fastest woman in the world, wears one. So does jockey José Santos. And Canadian Sandra Post, eight-time LPGA champion.
As things get more and more hectic in our already frenzied lives, we need to learn to pass on the quick fix.
There is a reason that exercise is often referred to as “working-out.”
No professional athlete expects his or her title, medal or championship to be handed over on a silver platter. Then why did any of them think that a simple piece of metal could miraculously improve their skill-set?
In athletics, as in any other field, if you want to be the best, the strongest or the fastest, you have to earn it. You have to train.
Training strengthens the body, mind and soul. It is about will, concentration and endurance. Training brings results that can actually be felt and seen. Training requires individual effort; it requires self-discipline. Coaches, equipment and facilities can bring an athlete to that next level. But you need to have determination and a personal drive backing what you are doing. No doubt that natural talent has a role to play, but you also have to want it.
The same holds true for everyday people who are just looking to keep healthy. Fitness clubs charge top dollar to bring about a new you. People shell out hundreds of dollars each year, thinking, “I pay for it, so I’ll go.” They need to have the right equipment and the right environment.
The truth is if someone isn’t willing to step out his or her door to walk a few blocks in the name of healthy living, that person is probably not really committed to getting fit.
It might not be easy, but the solution is simple.
Toss away those bangles and the books. Shove aside the colour-coordinated spandex. Throw on some old sweats and a pair of sneakers. Just get out there and move.