Why We Train

If you have ever asked a fitness coach why they do what they do, you have probably heard some version of “I want to help people” or “I like helping others”. This generalization, however, does not always fully explain the depth of one’s conviction to have chosen this profession as their life’s work.

To be sure, not all coaches have the same attitudes and beliefs, but I would like to take this opportunity to explain why being a fitness coach is so important to me and my team. The first and most important point is that as a fitness coach, we have the unique opportunity to help individuals transform their lives. Two or more times each week, we have the privilege of teaching about a field that is possibly the most important discipline to master: health. And it is health that is the gateway to all other endeavors in life.

Inspiration to Action

This may be the underlying reason for all that we do: to provide a setting in which our clients begin to believe in themselves and their dreams again. If you look at the history of the world you will see that humans have the ability to do amazing things. All accomplishments, however, begin with a belief. No matter how big or small, if you BELIEVE that it is possible, you will in some fashion reach your goal. No, we cannot fly, but we can build airplanes that can do it for us. No, we cannot reverse aging, but we can make new medical discoveries that help increase quality of life as we age. And no, you cannot look like you are 20 when you are 50, but what if you felt like you were 20 and looked darn good, too?? With all of these endeavors, it first takes a belief that we are, in fact, capable of achieving them.

As second but equally important goal for us is to help others maximize their quality of life. Lack of exercise and a lifetime of poor eating strips the body of its vitality and leaves us in a state of survival. To thrive, we must learn how to take control again of our health. With the help of diet and exercise, the human body can make amazing changes. It can lose dramatic amounts of weight, build muscle, increase bone density, improve immune function, decrease its risk of cardiovascular and auto-immune disease, and much, much more.

It’s Deeper than Aesthetics

This is where our work becomes more than just helping people to lose weight. Because what is a weight loss goal in the first place? It is really a goal to gain confidence and increase the quality of one’s life. So for us, it’s not just about the weight loss, it’s about the transformation an individual can achieve, leaving them in a better position to optimize their life.

We hold dear the belief that life is not meant to be lived in a state of discomfort or disease. That life should be good, yet many people, either through poor information or no previous guidance, have been lead down the wrong path.

All of this fuels our fire. We are passionate about empowering our clients to see through the marketing efforts of the “food” industry. The corn lobby, the soy lobby, the fast food companies, the snack and soda companies; these groups do not have your best interest at heart, yet they have the funds and the influence to make the destructive “food” they produce cheaper and more available than nutritious food. They are not solely responsible—we all have the power to choose our own destiny—but it sure makes it hard, especially for those who are not educated in what a healthy diet looks like. And these companies spend a lot of money to make you think that their products ARE in fact healthy when they are far from it.

The Need for Movement Education

Along with education about nutrition and disease, there is also significant value in the teaching of exercise. For most of human history, our species had no need for formal exercise. We spent most of our time and energy finding and preparing our food. Today, it could not be more different. Now, the only thing we NEED to expend energy on is breathing and moving from one seat to another.

This is why formal exercise has become a must. While we would love it if people were more active in their daily lives, the reality of the times is that we are all too busy to be moving for 8+ hours a day. So, rather than hoping for a miracle, we have taken it upon ourselves to help teach movement in a way that can be progressed and used to produce the highest level of caloric expenditure both in and out of the training session. It is not enough to just go for a run; we must create a metabolic demand great enough that 24 hours after an exercise session, your body is still burning more calories than it otherwise would. And we must do it in such a way that challenges each person to improve their overall movement, decrease the risk of injuries, and improve posture. All of these things play into overall quality of life, and as we said before, quality of life is what this is all about.

Closing Thoughts

In the end, we are here for you, the client. Just as a teacher believes that education is a form of empowerment, we believe that movement, strength, and health are also empowering. They provide the foundation on which all other goals and aspirations can be built. We all have people we want to be our best for and activities we want to participate in. Begin able to enjoy each of these parts of life requires one thing: a functional, health body.

This is why we coach. Because life is too short to let poor health slow you down on the path to happiness and fulfillment.