Can you be More Specific Please?

If you cared enough to keep up to date with what is going on in the fitness industry you will have noticed the never ending discovery and challenges of new exercises. To the fitness junkie these are pretty exciting because something new on the market, just as exciting as the arrival of a new fitness apparatus, marketed on television, brainwashing millions of people this is the answer to thei weight and fitness problems.  Like many Instructors, we have been introducing new fitness routines to compliment the martial arts rather than stay with the old fashion push-ups and sit-ups, specialty of the ‘70’s and ‘80s.  As martial artists, our exercises have to be sports specific and not to get carried away with the many new thousands of exercises. Exercises have to suit our needs; eg it would be a waste of time training a boxer to be flexible like a ballerina.  Whilst exercises should be specific for each particular sport, consideration should also be given to some exercises which may only be suitable for specific people.  To avoid any confusion, sticking to the basic fitness routines will just about suit everyone – they worked very well for me when I was training to be a Police Officer, 29 years ago; I was super fit by doing just the basic cardio and fitness routines!

There is also another consideration.  A newly discovered exercise usually has not been researched and long term tested.  Today, they will tell you it’s great, and tomorrow, they will tell you how bad it's for you.  We were told to do sit-ups with our legs straight (great for your back if you wanted to retire early) and today you would scold anybody for even thinking about trying it that way.  But history has a habit of repeating itself.

One final thing – fitness machines look much better on television than what they really are ie under the bright lights with all the good looking guys and gals with smiles on their faces.  The marketing overinflates the price, quality and effectiveness of the machine.  The only good thing about them is that you will at least do some form of fitness, until you're bored or they break down. They all have one thing in common, once you stop using them, you will probably never use them again. Thank goodness for eBay.  Don't worry too much about the new machines and DVD's, you are already getting fit just by training in the martial arts.  I hope you like the picture which has nothing to do with this blog, the same as those machines on TV which have nothing to do with fitness.

See you on eBay.
GA