Monday, January 10, 2011

FITNESS INDUSTRY CREDENTIALS - Thursday January 6th 2010

In the fitness business we shouldn't fall into the trap of complicating the simple, making the cheap expensive and being judged by our qualifications. That would make us like the medical industry which is the last bastion of the highly qualified and highly ineffective. The heath of Australians continues to get worse, despite the medical industry being protected to the tune of $100B (yep, that $100,000,000,000) each year.

Teaching and motivating people to keep themselves fit and healthy is neither rocket nor medical science. In fact it's so easy that most of the people working in this industry worked it out for themselves and are mad keen to pass their advice on.

With apologies to Alexander Pope, a little learning is definitely not a bad thing, but the evidence suggests that too much education may well be.

It does not take a lot of training to grasp the principles of how to diagnose and treat some of the major causes of metabolic and musculo-skeletal dysunction. In this respect we are streets ahead of the medical industry where huge amounts of time spent in education churns out graduates who lack the ability to diagnose the cause of these dysfunctions and are thereby more than likely to prescribe a drug to mask a symptom, rather than getting people to do the things themselves which restore poor function to good.

It's just time we told the world about it.

We will be recognised for our ability to produce favourable outcomes, not by our certificates.

We are just scratching the surface. Our future will be in becoming recognised as primary health care centres for the treatment of the metabolic and musculo-skeletal dysfunctions.

If you reckon you're up to it, start touting for the sort of business that directs people with metabolic and musculo-skeletal dysfunction into your centre, rather than into a surgery or pharmacy. You may have to modify your programs to suit them.

If you're not yet up to it, start educating yourself to the point where you are.

It won't take people long to feel better and recognise that they're better off keeping themselves fit, rather than swallowing pills. It will save them money.

If you're feeling bold you'll also make a difference to people with some of the psychological dysfunctions, particularly depression, where 12 months of regular vigorous exercise stands head and shoulders above 12 months of Prozac.

In the meantime stay tuned, highly tuned and keep in mind that the chances of Fitness Australia supporting you in this quest for greater status of our industry is remote.

On the track
Went to the gym.


John Miller

www.fitandhealthyonline.com

www.crookback.com.au

www.globalbackcare.com

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