ARE we hoping to find a Fitbit under the Christmas tree this year?
Or is there a new diet plan taking shape as a New Year’s resolution? Of course this will require home delivered meals, protein shakes, new $200 shoes and at least three apps monitoring everything from kilojoules burned to the location of the nearest coffee vendor.
The bad news is none of them are likely to make you healthy in the long term.
A Fitbit won’t get you out of bed on a miserable Tuesday morning.
Only a behavioural shift, one that involves looking beyond short-term quick fixes, will do that.
To do that you have to find the exercise (and a food plan) you like, and that is different for every individual.
One size does not fit all, despite what the ads will tell you. An app that tells you what to eat and exercise might be great for Jean’s needs but be wasted money for Jane.
The companies that sell all the assorted fitness paraphernalia are not interested in your health so much as your money.
The purchase of a gym membership and meal planner app may alter your behaviour in the short term. But are you still going to be doing it in 18-months time.
I can’t afford to pay Michelle Bridges to prepare my food any longer.
But I can eat a wide variety of healthy foods and get some sort of exercise nearly every day.
The only way to get healthy and maintain it is to change behaviours to consistently healthier options.
There is no correlation between owning a Fitbit and your health.
Eat well and exercise at moderate intensity for an hour, or high intensity for half and hour 3-5 times a week – doing whatever you like, and you won’t need a Fitbit to tell you to exercise.
Is the purchase of paraphernalia and fitness products Pro-active or reactive?
Are you purchasing it because it will improve your health, or because you have been convinced by a marketing campaign invested in taking your money?
If your diet and exercise routines are not in balance, generally the rest of your health (mental, psychological) is not either. So it is better investing in getting these areas right before wasting your money on something that you won’t be using in 12 months time.
Recognise the advertising for what it is, because if you see the strings you won’t just be the puppet.