We all live somewhere on what is called the Sickness-Wellness-Fitness Continuum. Every single one of us – and where we sit on it is dependant on our metrics. Our health is measurable. Examples of these might be:

What is you blood pressure?

What is your resting heart rate?

What is your body fat composition?

What are your cholesterol levels?

Do you have any pre-existing conditions such as diabetes?

What are your visceral fat levels? (the fat that sits around our organs)

What is your muscle mass?

These are measured by either our Doctors visits and/or how we measure on a Body Composition Analyser. They are numbers that we can’t escape, and ones that we should know.  How we measure this in the gym? 

Can you do a full range body weight squat?

Can you get off the ground without assistance?

Can you lift your own bodyweight off the ground?

Can you run 200m without stopping?

These are all measurable – and if the answer is currently ‘no’ to any of the above – then you can expect to be sitting somewhere near the Sickness end of the Continuum. This isn’t a good place to be. It may not be a problem for you now, but at some stage down the line – this is going to catch up with you. These are functional things that keep you independent and vital. 

Selfishly, I located myself on the continuum to see where I would fall when I found out I needed my gallbladder removed. I think about this when I hear of people falling over and breaking an arm, or getting into an accident that requires them to be immobile for a period of time as they recover. 

Where we sit on the Continuum has a profound effect on what our recovery looks like, and how long its going to take. 

When I ask members about their ability to change and what makes or made them change, the key theme is generally a major life event, whether it be a diagnosis or another event. Clearly life has happened, things have got out of control and health has become an issue. What is a shame about this change is that it is already happening. The good news is it’s never too late to change to get great benefits. But preventing diabetes is a better plan than waiting for it to happen – which requires early change. But how? How do we get people to not only see a need to change, but to MAKE the change and make it early and stick with it? People, including myself, have the mentality of ‘this will never happen to me.’ Why do we think we are immune? We see the people around us and the things that happen to them, but we put ourselves in this bubble of immunity. So, maybe the process of change should come with the realization that WE ARE NOT IMMUNE.

Our job as Coaches and as a gym is to create a ‘Buffer’ for our members. To get everyone as far away as possible from the Sickness end, and move them towards Fitness. We do this so that when a life event does happens, when we do need time to recover – we are further away from sickness and have created a buffer for recovery. We can get caught up in the ‘sexy’ stuff like muscle ups, and Double Unders – those things are fun skills to learn and can look pretty cool! But fundamentally, our job is to get you well and keep you there. Our job is to help you hit your goals – and in the 10+ years of having the gym – those goals all lead towards health and vitality.

‘I want to be around for my kids and grandkids’

‘I want to feel more energised so I can enjoy doing things with the family’

‘I want to feel better about myself and more confident’

‘I want to lose weight and feel healthy again’

‘I want to feel strong as I get older’

‘I’m scared because I can’t get myself off the ground like I used to’

There is no better time to invest in all aspects of your health than right now. This includes your spiritual and emotional health. Stress can lead to and exacerbate any disease process. Therefore, it’s important to have a plan in place to step away from the daily stresses and address your physical, mental and emotional stress. You may choose to read, walk, write, play a game, or find someone to help you through some trauma. This will be different for everyone, but the important point is to establish a plan to refresh your mind, just as you do your body.

Change is most likely going to occur in people when they have accountability. I encourage you to invest in a method for accountability. This could be a group of friends that meets weekly, a family support system that holds each other accountable or a class coaching group that offers daily classes and 1:1 accountability check-ins like us! Click here to book a FREE consult to start that conversation.

The options you choose will vary, but you need to address the fact that you need to do your part in keeping yourself as close to Fitness as possible.