Snake Oil Salespersons Dominate the Fitness Industry

By Joe Mullen

It is common-knowledge among "insiders" in the fitness industry that the industry is dominated by hucksters and snake-oil salespersons.

The net result is that millions of Americans are bilked out of billions of dollars each year. Most of this money is spent in an attempt to find a magic wand, lotion, potion, or pill that will provide "instant weight loss; or prevent "aging skin."

Purchasers soon discover that their skin will continue to age and the one area of immediate weight loss is in their wallet. I once asked the publisher of a national magazine that features so-called fitness products, how he made so much money selling useless products.

He smiled and said, "You will never go broke UNDERESTIMATING the intelligence of the public." Would you buy a product sold by this charlatan? You probably have.

There is only one defence against this kind of premeditated rip-off. Knowledge. Consumers interested in fitness training and related products must learn to separate fact from fiction.

Our goal is to provide rational, scientifically accurate information for consumers, which can guide them towards their fitness goal or product purchase.

Towards this end, this article will provide some basic answers to frequently asked questions about exercise.

The three most common causes of discouragement that contribute to becoming a fitness dropout are:

1. Fraudulent products that never produce the promised results
2. Lack of knowledge about exercise which prevents realistic goal setting,
3. Fitness centers staffed by instructors who fail to provide supervision, education, or motivation for members.

The following information is the first step toward eliminating the three common causes of discouragement. Physical fitness is defined as the ability to live each day with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and have energy left for leisure-time activities.

• Fitness will manifest itself by providing ABOVE average levels of strength, flexibility, and endurance -and BELOW average levels of body fat.
• Designing a fitness program requires a basic understanding of the requirements of fitness and the knowledge to design a program that will provide the results you want.
• It is not true that, "something is better than nothing”. Improperly designed fitness programs can do more harm than they do well.
• Consult a fitness professional for help in goal setting and program design. Do not guess how to do it -learn how.
• Before beginning a fitness program, be sure to check with your physician. Although a fitness program can have profound positive effects, it can also cause serious damage to the novice who attempts too much-too soon.
• If you are in "average" health, it is safe to exercise, preferably under professional supervision. There is no age barrier for beginning or continuing a fitness program.
• Everyone can benefit. Attitude, not age, is the major prerequisite.
• Men and women can follow the same fitness program. Women will not "develop muscles like a man" if they follow a similar program of a man. Adequate amounts of the hormone testosterone are needed to achieve large muscle-size.
• Most women simply do not have enough of this hormone in their genetic blueprint. It is true that a very few women do; however, it is still possible to create a fitness program that will not build excess muscle.
• The so-called average person can follow the same kind of program as an athlete. The only difference would be in the intensity of the effort. In general, 20 minutes of authentic exercise, three times a week is sufficient.
• That means 20 minutes of exercise, not five minutes of looking at you in the mirror and 15 minutes of getting ready to exercise.
• Exercise can greatly reduce the chance of a sports related injury or rehabilitate any injury incurred playing your favorite sport.
• Common problems such as nagging lower back, knee, or elbow and shoulder injuries can be greatly improved or eliminated with sensible exercise.
• Senior citizens in particular can benefit from supervised exercise. Bone thickness and body strength can be in- creased. This can help prevent broken bones and provide the strength to improve mobility.
• Walking up and down stairs or getting up from a sitting position would be much easier. Exercise is strongly recommended for seniors.

In summary:

• Education is the key to understanding fitness. Any realistic goal can be achieved. Get your doctor's OK.
• Most common-knowledge about fitness is myth.
• Everyone can benefit from exercise, young and old. .Prevention and rehabilitation of injuries is possible.
• Permanent weight loss is achievable only if you eat fewer calories than your body requires for its daily energy source.
• Spot reducing is a myth, sauna wraps are useless -magic wands, lotions, potions, or pills do not exist and there is no tooth fairy.