WS#48 - Creating a problem just to provide a solution…the fitness industry in a nutshell
Week of 3/11/24
In my limited time working in the health and fitness space, it has become increasingly clear to me that the consumer is often pushed to believe they have a limitation or a problem that needs fixing. From a business perspective, this makes sense. Creating a problem and then providing a solution that you can market as a lifelong pursuit is a terrific model for recurring revenue and repeat customers. Although this feels like a winning strategy, it also feels predatory. The professionals in the space hold some responsibility, however, knowing many personally, the predatory business model is not fueled by money hungry individuals that are aware of what they are doing. They have been taken through an education and certification process that has led them to believe that people need to be able to perform an exercise, attain a certain position for their bodies, eat a certain way, move a certain way, and feel a certain way. I have been through this process, taken courses and classes, and learned a great deal of important information. I have been as careful as I can to avoid this trap and be as unbiased as I can.
I was asked a question this week about a certain movement in a group fitness class that a client was struggling with for years. Specifically, this was a Pilates group fitness class and the movement in question was a straight leg sit-up. Essentially, this is a movement where you start lying flat on your back with your legs extended and try to perform a sit-up smoothly without your feet coming off the floor. My client expressed some concern with the fact that she could not do this and was clearly upset that she struggled with this movement for so long. The first thing I did was explain what was required to perform this movement well. This helped to clear up why some people can perform an exercise like this while others cannot, and how it is not a strength deficit but more a spinal mobility issue that is the roadblock. Your “weak” core is not responsible for as many problems as you have been led to believe. Once we were on the same page regarding the technicalities of the movement, I wanted to understand why this movement was important. I figured since she was doing it for years with little success, it must matter. Long story short, there was no clear reason. It was something she was shown that she could not do, and she wanted to be able to do it. We all know this feeling. We see people every day on social media or in the gym that we want to be like. We see them doing certain exercises or wearing certain clothes and we want what they have. If someone can take advantage of this base instinct that we all have in order to sell us something, they will… and they have.
This example highlights my main point. Consumers are shown that they cannot complete a task, are not educated as to what is required to complete this task, and told that, to get better, they just need to keep coming back for more. A problem was created unnecessarily with no practical solution other than to keep buying something. The incentives are not aligned here for a fair exchange of value.
Next time you are in a class or are told that you should be able to attain a position, lift a certain amount, move a certain way, eat a certain way, or feel a certain way, make sure you ask yourself why it matters to you. Once you do that, it isn’t a terrible idea to ask the instructor or individual telling you what to do the same question. If you start to understand that you do not need to be able to do everything that the instructor can do, maybe you can start to enjoy the classes more and stop worrying about things that are not vital to your health. Part of why so many fail to achieve their health and fitness goals is that they do not learn to embrace the process of improvement and instead focus on a result. This predatory situation described here is part of the reason why it is so difficult to enjoy the process. If you ask more questions not only to yourself but to the people giving you advice, the more you will learn that much of what you have been led to believe about fitness is not the case and you will give yourself a shot to make this a lifelong pursuit.
-Matt