Fairy Tale Fitness

Fairy Tale Fitness
Copyright (c) 2006 Ainsley Laing

At University, many years ago, I took a class in marketing.
One of the lessons of this class was about the "Cinderella
Theme" in marketing and merchandising. Have you ever heard
of it? Even if you don't know it by its technical name, I
am quite sure you would recognize this method or philosophy.

Guys, how many of you have wanted a car just because that
particular car has the image of being a "Babe Magnet"? Be
honest with yourself now – 99% of you, right? This is how
the professionals on Madison Avenue make their living.

Ladies, how much make-up do you have in your make-up bag
that you bought because the model looked good, the guy in
the ad looked good…..only to get the cosmetic home and find
it make you feel like a clown?

Those folks on Madison Avenue are good…I personally keep
buying lipsticks that when I buy them I just know this is
the magic one that will change my looks and hence my life
forever - only to find I look the same with different
colored lips. Ah well.

After many years helping fitness clients, I feel that some
clients also begin a fitness program with a "Cinderella"
mentality. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone
say "If only I could lose 10 pounds, I would be so much
happier", I would be pretty rich by now.

Just imagine how much money is made appealing to this
thinking with quick fixes such as diet pills, weight loss
suits, diet foods, etc. The list is exhausting.

It really doesn't matter with respect to fitness how or why
a person decides to get fit and change their body
composition – the end result is the same. What gets them
to the decision, be it vanity, peer pressure, health or
Madison Avenue doesn't make any difference….so long as the
commitment is made.

The equation is the same: commit the time, do the work and
you will lose fat, gain muscle and get fit.

But, here's where the fairy tale ends. A great many people
will commit and follow through only long enough to reach a
goal. I feel that this is the Cinderella theme aspect of
all this. Many clients I have seen see "weight loss", or
"getting into a size 7" as a goal and use fitness programs
and/or diets as a means to get there. Again, a good reason
to start; but just losing a few pounds does not make a fit,
strong body and heart nor does the weight stay off
permanently.

Slim people are not necessarily fit….fit people are not
necessarily slim. I recently read some scary statistics
somewhere that concluded that many women were smoking
cigarettes because they believed this would keep them slim.
Since smoking is counterproductive to fitness, I would
guess that these slim people are not as fit as they could
be! But, I digress.

Fitness takes time, is hard work and needs to continue for
some time for a person to really transform into "the
princess" or "prince". I generally tell clients that,
although it takes about 6 months to start to feel "the
magic" of getting fit by following a good fitness and
nutrition plan, it takes much more time to get real,
lasting changes in both body composition and health profile.

It is true that the practicalities of getting fit, staying
fit and making healthy lifestyle choices don't seem
romantic. They involve sweat, tears and just plain old
time - a lifetime in fact.

It's about the process, small increments over a long time
period. Through the process, a self romance can grow: a
sense of pride of accomplishment and a strong beautiful
body. THE PROCESS is the "happily ever after"…

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About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years
and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds
certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and
Person Fitness Training. Read other articles by Ainsley at
http://www.bodyformind.com .