So today I was chatting to a client and about todays society and how everyone wants a quick fix these days and It got me thinking.
Why do so many gyms and fitness companies do challenges these days?
Il tell you why – it is because we have become a nation of impatient lazy people who are always looking for the ‘quick fix’. Gone are the days of getting your Sunday paper and circling your weeks worth of TV programs and waiting patiently til 7.30pm to watch Corrie! Gone are the days of going to your local library to get a book to read, or to find out info about that holiday you booked through teletext, which might I add took you seven hours to find the right deal because you had to wait for each page to load – and even then you couldn’t find a pen to write the deal down, so you had to wait for it to come round again!
Nowadays no-one wants to wait for ANYTHING! and that is the same for our individual fitness and body goals.
Question: If I were to put an advert out which said:
Come and join my fabulous studios – it might take you months to reach your goals (but it depends on the effort YOU put in), your gonna need to work bloody hard, it is going to be tough, you have to be dedicated but you will get incredible results…if you stick at it!….would you request more info????
I bet the answer is no! and why is this? Because nowadays we are impatient, and we expect things done for us! I mean let’s be honest, how many of us now buy from Amazon because we can’t be arsed to go shopping ourselves……”What – me go shopping? You must be mad! that means I have to use my legs and wait until the weekend to get a new top! Nah sack that I can order it from my bed!”
The fact is we want things done for us quickly – this is exactly the same when it comes to fitness, Scrolling through social media and Google recently I have come across the following:
6 week bikini body plans – For just £300 we can change your body! – (mmmmm really!)
28 day shreds – £150 to SHRED (So I am going to be pure muscle in a month right?….erm OK!)
The 28 day shrink stomach challenge – (basically eliminate processed food, dairy, alcohol, sugar and food additives and eat boiled carrots and fruit for 28 days – I was too shocked to even find the cost of this stupid hideous challenge – but probs a couple of hundred ££ + a free coupon for Maccys when you go binge eat on day 29)
28 day fitness plan – £120 (Basically get off you arse and exercise three times a week, but pay us double – because it is a plan)
GET THIS!!!!
One Company even promoted £45 for doing body measurements, but if you do their 6 week plan you got it free! I mean C’MON £45 for doing body measurements! I have a tape measure in my draw and I can quite easily wrap it round my waist to get my own measurements…..and you know what, come to my studios and Il even do yours for free – ask me to write the measurements down though and that will be a tenner!
Im not gonna lie though – in my ignorant days I did a 9 day challenge and just drank Aloe Vera for nine days thinking it would change my life! Cost me a bloody fortune – You’re not meant to exercise either. Well of course I lost weight – think I also lost my personality at the same time too – oh and the weight came back on when I finally had a decent meal!
Nowadays everything is geared towards achieving your goals within a month!!
All these plans and challenges are great! I mean they really are but they all do the same thing – Plans basically tell you to get your arse to the gym three times a week and eat better! and Challenges tell you to do something for 30 days – which isn’t realistic in real life!
The thing that most of these ‘month’ challenges and plans have in common is that they understand women want quick fixes these days (because clearly no one has got time to invest in their health forever….I mean what a ludicrous idea) so they play on this and charge well-over the odds for something that you should realistically fit into your lifestyle. (women should be strength training/exercising three times a week to stay fit and strong – FACT!)
We all see 28 days as something we can stick too (hence why companies play on it) (well many can and many can’t) – but then, what happens after the 28 days? You find you haven’t actually reached your goals or it hasn’t been enough time for you to really create a habit! ( which can often take 4-12 weeks #justsayin)
Within the 28 days most of us will also sacrifice something else or make special plans to accommodate the challenge, for example – you arrange child care every Tuesday and Thursday for four weeks in order to go do the ‘challenge’ – “I mean it’s only 4 weeks so my mum can just do that for one month” – or you have snuck out of work early once a week, because let’s face it, its only 4 times in a month.
So what happens after the challenge?
LIFE HAPPENS THATS WHAT! Surprisingly life really does go back to normal and suddenly you can’t continue the same routine – then panic hits, your stressed and your body starts to slowly go back to what it was, and then you stress and emotionally eat…and OMG!!!!! You are back to square one…………minus the £300 you paid for the challenge (but look on the bright side – at least you got your measurements for free! #bonus ……………#sigh #eyeroll)
To sum it up
I guess what I am trying to say is that we are all consumers of a fast paced, impatient society these days where we expect instant results. To be fair, its probably not your fault – but more the fault of the media for making us believe that all these challenges and quick fixes are going to suddenly change you! The truth is, is that there is no sudden quick fix! it is all just MARKETING – well that, and ignorance of us thinking its sustainable! The only thing that people wait for these days is nine months to have a bloody baby! I guess thinking about this – good things really do come to those who wait – but if your willing to wait that long, then be willing to wait that long to hit your goals.
So when you are next thinking about a challenge! Don’t just think of the short term! Think of the long term! Is it something you can keep up after? There really is a reason why challenges are a premium price – it is because they know you will do a one off premium payment and probably not sign up to their membership after because, let’s face it your really not that committed to your health are you? – you just want a quick fix!!
Why sign up to a costly challenge, when you could pay less to sign up to an awesome studio and make your workouts part of your long term lifestyle! It may take you longer – but my god it is worth it!
So going back to my advert! Behind every ‘quick fix’ and ‘monthly challenge’ should really be the message………….
It might take you months to reach your goals (but it depends on the effort YOU put in), your gonna need to work bloody hard, it is going to be tough, you have to be dedicated but you will get incredible results…if you stick at it!…
No one likes the harsh reality of the real world sometimes, but guess what – it is time to realise that you have to put effort in, you have to be dedicated AND you need to learn not to buy into these quick fixes.
So stop putting your hard earned cash into someone else’s pocket for 21 days, and invest wisely into a long term plan………Now as I said – If you want that free body measurement, you know where to find me!
Winners Strength & Wellbeing Studios, Stockport Road, Cheadle! and I tell you what – il even put the kettle on for a cuppa…but don’t forget to bring your pen – there you go, iv’e just saved you a tenner!
You can thank me later!
Clo x
