‘Health is a pillar that supports a thriving life, fitness makes that pillar stronger.'
It took me two decades to come to this conclusion.
Here’s my story.
When I first started working out, I was laser focused on one thing..
Workout, to look good.
The idea to look like someone with big muscles was planted around age 5.
I was drawn to acting, looking and being like people or characters I saw..
- My dad and men in my family network
- Athletes or bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger
- G.I. Joe’s, action figures, and muscular tough looking cartoon characters
Looking back, it wasn’t the simple fact that they had muscles
But they had courage to face challenges, were confident in their abilities and were respected.
Add fuel to the fire in the coming years, I was looking for something to help fix my insecurities, anxieties, self-esteem and self-confidence complexes..
That likely came from a combination of unhealthy environment, restrictive rules and bullying.
I would chase this image for quite some time before realizing the combined deeper motivators.
Here’s a quick timelapse..
- First stepping into a gym at 12 years old
- Using my dad's old school loadable dumbbells to do curls
- Doing(trying to) push-ups at home
- Joining football (American) in highschool
- Finding structured strength training during football
- Changing my major from business to kinesiology during college(university)
- Getting several personal trainer certifications
- Spending the next 25 years devoting (more like obsessing) my time to health and fitness
- 15 years of being a trainer/coach (8 of those years owning and operating a gym)
There were those enlightened professors, authors, and health professionals teaching the real benefits of health and fitness..
But it was drowned out by messages like 'you have to look good to have status' by
- movies, tv shows, athletes, stars
- people getting the most attention
- messages from gyms or exercise programs were marketing "losing weight, building confidence, being your best self"
And the misguided effort continued..
- unhealthy habits to try to look a certain way
- working out hard without eating a balanced diet
- training too hard to the point of injuries
- combining legitimately intense workouts and restrictive diets
Even with all the red flags my body was sending me, I just didn’t comply..
This was not sustainable.
But I thought I was on the “right” path, just like the rest of the fitness industry..
The Turning Point
By this point, I had trained hundreds of clients..
And dedicated 10,000+ hours of research to find a solution..
To the “perfect” approach to habits and exercise for long term results..
Then, I had a revelation about health and fitness.
I was asking the wrong question. It wasn’t, “How do I help them lose weight or gain muscle as fast as possible…”
It was, “Fix the root cause of health problems and it will lead to success in nearly all fitness goals.”
- Losing excessive body fat and weight
- Gaining and maintaining lean muscle
- Training the body to store and use energy efficiently
- Being strong and having more stamina for longevity
My philosophy on health and fitness became more clear.
The Fallacy of Health... and Fitness
In 2022, the health and fitness industry's revenue was about 31 billion dollars..
While in that same year about 60% of Americans were known to have at least one chronic disease (heart, lungs, diabetes, cancer, stroke, etc...)
And both these numbers continue rise
So what's the disconnect?
The 3 main obstacles
1. How Most People Understand Health
2. The Misconception of Fitness
3. Individual Responsibility
1. How most people understand “Being healthy”
- "I must be healthy if I don't have any major issues going about my day."
- "My blood work came back within normal range and the doctor said everything seems to be in order."
- "Being tired, losing muscle, and minor pains are just part of aging."
"Just because it's common, doesn't mean it's normal."
The majority of people think and live like this..
But we now have fitness to help with that, right?
2. The Monetization of Fitness
(Ok, before you say it… I know I make a living with fitness but that’s not what I mean.)
At first glance, the fitness industry seems like a terrific solution to the health crisis.
Degrees, certifications, dietitians, nutritionists, gyms, personal trainers, group classes, etc…
Plenty of experts to get the right information out, right?
Then we see ads of “healthy” fit bodies, six pack abs, toned arms, smiling faces...
- "Be the best you!"
- "Build confidence!"
- "Mind over matter!"
This is to motivate everyone to start exercising and build healthier habits.. right?
But there's still that disconnect..
The Health & Fitness industry growing by $ billions.. Chronic disease growing by millions..
Here's the unpopular truth.
Fitness became just another way to make money by targeting insecurities and manipulating emotions...
To chase society's beauty standards and status symbols.
Selling a quick fix to fitness like a product won’t cut it.
It doesn't address the root health issue or provide a long term fitness solution.
(Don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom. There's hope.)
3. Individual Responsibility
The misconceptions about health and fitness will always be around but..
You can turn the ship around.
- Understand the important metrics of health
- Apply fitness principles that fit your lifestyle
- Understand and manage your thoughts and emotions
Unfortunately, these skills aren’t taught growing up.
Kids look to adults(authority figures) for guidance..
And the authority figures help create beliefs about how the world works.
So people continue to look to these "authority figures" even into adulthood.
Though experts are providing some helpful information today…
They can’t provide all the necessary information or can misinform people at times.
It ultimately comes down to the individual get correct information and applying it in their lives.
The Solution
1. Educating and guiding the general population about actions to take for health.
2. Providing fitness tips and coaching to achieve goals sustainably without compromising longevity.
3. Sharing my journey and research on psychology, emotional intelligence & awareness, habits, mindset, and all things human behavior.
The physical behaviors and the mindset can take time to make a habit.
Buckle in and view health and fitness for all the benefits it brings.
You can do this.
-Daniel Ji
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Connect with me on twitter here.
Feel free to say hi or ask me anything about health and fitness.