Fitness and Sustainability, Part 4 – Expanding The Benefits Of Fitness

This is part 4 of Fitness and Sustainability.

Over the last few segments (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) we have seen how growth drives our way of life in the developed world. In the last segment we saw the way in which that plays out with the nutrition industry. Now let’s take a look at how we can turn some of the negative consequences around for the benefit of ourselves and, if we want, for the benefit of our communities.

As a culture that is driven by growth we are very much fixated on making additions in order to bolster satisfaction. We buy things, and when we run out of things to buy, we buy bigger, better, or newer things. It is an additive society in which prosperity is measured largely by possessions and this feeds the growth that our economy thrives on.

As we have seen, this scenario is playing out on the fitness front much to our detriment. We find it difficult to give up things that we love in order to lose the pounds that we have put on. As a result, we attempt to buy our way out of the problem by adding things to our lifestyles. We purchase gym memberships, protein powders, weight loss books, exercise DVD’s, health magazines, vitamins, juice cleanses, and on and on. As a nation, we have so far shown that the existence of these products does not ensure health or freedom from obesity and related diseases. We are no fitter now than we were ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago, in fact, we are generally worse. To turn things around we need to give up the things that cause weight gain such as snacking on cookies at work, desserts at every meal, eating out or ordering in too often, or buying and consuming too many processed foods, rather than add things that are supposed to somehow take the ill effects away.

For many, this seems like a daunting task that is absolutely devoid of fun. We say to ourselves that we need to enjoy life too. It is not worth it to live totally deprived of these pleasures that we have become so accustomed to, and for many, this means giving up on fitness goals. But this is not the real truth, this is just a particular paradigm speaking, namely, the same growth paradigm that we have been discussing thus far. There are other forms of fulfillment that can be achieved beyond the simple pleasures we have become accustomed to.

“Prosperity is not synonymous with material wealth. And the requirements of prosperity go beyond material sustenance.”  Indeed, this sentiment has been gaining ground in recent times as the strains caused by the pursuit of material wealth grow. Unilever, one of the worlds largest companies, has declared its intention to develop into an entirely sustainable brand. (Hopefully not just empty words.) The company espouses that “creating a sustainable future will require fundamental changes in attitude and behavior across society,” and that “Humanity faces challenges requiring changes in our everyday behavior patterns at individual and societal levels.”

So what does the fitness industry have to offer on this front? In my opinion, a lot. People have basic desires that we all can identify with. We want to feel good about ourselves on an individual level, but we also want to be useful, to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. We want to be fulfilled in profound ways. Fitness has the ability to really tap into these needs.

If we can help people who feel that they need to lose weight to succeed at doing so in a smart, healthy, and dedicated way, then they feel fantastic about themselves. They have accomplished something that is difficult and not only are they proud of the accomplishment, but they get to look and feel better each and every day. That is a personal, individual reward that can be very motivating. Now we need to show them that this personal reward can be expanded and that they can contribute to something larger along the way. Joining a CSA (Community Sustained Agriculture) can be one example.

CSA’s are on the rise in the country. They provide fresh, high quality food products to their local communities. Individuals can join a CSA and have fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, and sometimes dairy and meat products delivered right to their doors. The health and weight loss benefits are obvious, but this act also benefits the local community as well as the larger society. They do not ship food across the country, burning fossil fuel and contributing to environmental strain, and they keep the economic activity local. Dollars flow into and stay in the community helping along developments such as farm to table restaurants and farmer’s markets. Thus, the act of finding healthier ways to eat which brings about a very positive personal gain can also be linked into a larger picture, contributing to one’s community, which increases the fulfillment. What started out as a desire to look and feel better can be a way of reconnecting with some of the more intrinsic values that we also hunger for. In this way, the potential ‘deprivation’ that one might experience in reducing or giving up some of those bad habits can be offset by new rewards. I have found that those who experience such rewards rarely desire to return to their old habits.

The movement towards more sustainable ways of living is already well underway. We generally know what needs to be done and we have many solutions for achieving them. The biggest missing factor currently is a lack of will to actually push them through. Fitness is about nothing if it is not about the will to overcome. It’s time to start realizing where the links can be expanded and to start tapping into that power. I’d like to see the fitness industry really step up on this front. Fitness is billed as a health care solution and I believe it can be that and much more. Let’s not miss the opportunity!

http://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living-2014/

http://www.unilever.com/images/slp_5-Levers-for-Change_tcm13-276807.pdf

Jackson, Tim. Prosperity Without Growth. Sterling, VA; Earthscan, 2009