America is the home of the free, the
brave and the chubby.
We hear all the time about how American lifestyle
is full of highly processed food, many modern devices which help us cut back strenuous lifting and movement. Hours of television
activity that involves shows and video games, which are used in excess and does not help us maintain a healthy lifestyle,
for example driving; instead of biking or walking to the neighborhood market.
Life has changed in the United States and our population has continued to grow fatter and fatter in recent
years.
For the boxing or martial arts instructor, this
is opportunity to develop your business in the area of weight management.In
the past two months, I have watched families visit boxing and martial art gyms looking to get involved in programs that will
help them become fit.But often when I visited the typical boxing club or karate
school, the emphasis is on exercise and technique instead of a program including general fitness and weight management.
I am not saying that having a boxing or karate
program is bad without a fitness plan.But we have to listen to our patrons and
see what we can do to help those with a chronic problem of weight management, mainly the obese. We not only have to be self defense instructors, but we have to recognize that we can profit by being
health and lifestyle instructors too.If we do not have training in wellness
and nutritional fitness, it is time to add this to your curriculum.
It does not have to be included in your regular
program, but a separate specialized program for those who need a specialized program combating weight related problems.
Researchers have linked obesity and poor nutritional
habits to such diseases as diabetes, high blood pressure, stoke and heart disease.Exercise
and nutrition counseling will help combat these disorders.The National Exercise
and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) stated in their January 2007 newsletter that whatever exercise activity an individual
chose,”…that favorite activity should be performed at least 4 hours out of every week, divided between 4-5 days
per week, (or) success cannot and will not be achieved over the long term.Weight loss will never occur and/or weight lost will return.”
The newsletter added, “The American College
of Sports Medicine has issued multiple reports, through research with thousands of individuals
who do not exercise at least 3.75 hours per week are nearly certain to develop one of the following as they age: chronic obesity,
diabetes, heart disease, or metabolic syndrome (a combination of the previous three elements.)No pill, no diet, and no mental exercises will succeed for long ensuring weight loss and increased fitness without
a strict regimen that includes this level of activity.”
Master Fitness Trainer, Patrick Gamboa of the
International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) states, “Unfortunately, our lifestyle is now trickling down to our
children, who are watching and playing more video games than ever before. According to a study released by the Henry J. Kaiser
Family Foundation, children six and under are spending an average of two hours a day using screen media (1:58), which is about
the same amount of time that they are spending playing outside (2:01), and much more than the thirty-nine minutes that they
are spending reading or being read to.
Many children are growing up in homes where the
TV is an ever present companion: Two-thirds (65%) live in homes where the TV
is on ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’ (the latter group is considered ‘heavy’ TV households.)
According to a survey of parents by AC Nielson:
Only
1% of parents blame manufacturers.
Seven
percent blame advertising on TV, etc.
Nine
percent blame the child.
Ten
percent blame fast food companies.
Sixty
seven percent of parents blame themselves.”
According to the AC Nielson survey, it is understood
by most of the parents that their poor fitness and nutritional lifestyle is being affected by their own bad decisions.
Many boxing gyms in the United States
are losing money or making marginal profits.The facts stated by scientists and
fitness organizations prove that there is a huge market in the US
for weight management and nutritional related education.I have seen many individuals
and families walk into boxing and martial arts facilities and receive a barrage of lessons in the perspective sport but continue
to live a lifestyle of undisciplined eating and poor nutrition which causes them to drop out within a few weeks to a month.
Often you see the same individuals who go through
their exercise regime for months and leave the gym daily for a pizza or a cheeseburger.Those individuals will continue for the term of their contract and still struggle through the routines looking fat and unhealthy as the instructor look at the student puzzled and not understanding why this person
is physically the same and performing the same as he did when he came in and signed up a year ago.
We have to become the weight loss counselors.
Combating weight gain for most obese individuals
has to have the combination of a trainer, exercise and nutritional program to be successful.
Components of developing a successful weight loss
management program are:
Advise
your patrons to change their food consumption from 3 meals daily to 5 to 6 small meals daily.
Out
of their total meal plan, they want 15% of their food source calories to come from healthy fats, 25% to come from proteins
and 60 percent to come from carbohydrates.
You
want to consume your meals every two to three hours.
You
want to include an exercise program that will involve a minimum of at least 4 hours a week.
Provide
a strength conditioning program within your boxing and martial arts program.
Advise
supplementing diets. A good multivitamin is sufficient.
Significantly
reduce your junk food intake.Experts advise that you chose one day a week to
eat anything you want.Strict dieting will cause the student to binge later in
his training.
Drink
plenty of water.
If
you are adding muscle, weight gain shakes are a good supplement.
Reduce
TV time and replace it with a low impact physical activity such as walking, a horseshoe game, playing with your kids, etc.
Advise
your patrons to organize their families to participate together in physical activities.
As a boxer or martial arts instructor, begin to
recognize in a potential customer’s initial consultation with you, that there is a weight management crisis.Remember this person may need more than just the usual exercise program that your offer.Develop a weight management program in addition to your boxing or martial arts program.Counsel them on a private or semi-private personal training program and set a higher fee.
As you see your bottom line grow, you will be
proud of the fact that you may have helped save a person from an unhealthy lifestyle!Maybe even saving his life!
AS ALWAYS, KEEP YOUR GUARD UP AND KEEP ON PUNCHING!
