ONE SMALL STEP

by an individual,

ONE GIANT LEAP

for the community

Propelling itself into the front line of primary health care for the personally-generated metabolic, musculo-skeletal and (non-clinical) psychological dysfunctions is the next step forward for the fitness industry.

Whether it takes a small step or a giant leap remains to be seen.

In the age where the medical industry

	rarely puts their customers through a clinical diagnostic process designed to measure levels of aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility

	routinely prescribes drugs to mask symptoms of low levels of aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility

	rarely prescribes a high density aerobic fitness program to people with metabolic dysfunction or blue mood

	rarely provides people experiencing joint and muscle pain with an adequate diagnosis of the cause of their pain, or prescribes the strength and flexibility exercises designed to get their bodies back into better alignment.

… the fitness industry stands poised to grab market share from a diverse range of medical, allied medical and therapeutic industries.

The medical industry has locked itself into a subservient relationship with the pharmaceutical industry that has perverted the course of good health.

Headaches are not caused by a lack of paracetamol, depression is not caused by a lack of Zoloft, high blood pressure is not caused by a lack of Avapro or T2 diabetes caused by a lack of Gliclazide. Elevated cholesterol levels are not caused by a lack of Lipitor, reflux is not caused by a lack of Mylantin, back pain is not caused by a lack of Celebrex and piles are definitely not caused by a lack of Anusol.

Wrong diagnosis of causality inevitably leads to the wrong prescription,. The health of customers gets worse. Customers are then passed on up the medical feeding chain for treatments that become more and more expensive.

When a lack of physical fitness, including aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility (coupled with dietary insufficiency and a lack of personal development) is the most significant driver of poor health in Western society, it's logical to assume that the growth area for fitness industry professionals is to promote themselves as primary health care practitioners.

Whilst the fitness industry is a growth industry in its own right, the potential to grow even further is massive, with or without the same sort of protection that governments provide the medical industry.

THE CONCEPT

The Fitness Frontline concept is underpinned by a philosophy that says;

1.	It’s a big ask expecting to stay healthy without keeping yourself fit.

2.	It’s an even bigger ask expecting to get better by having someone do something to you; sooner or later you have to do something to yourself.

3.	A high proportion of body system dysfunctions start off as fitness problems. At that stage the best way to fix a fitness problem is with a fitness solution, not a medical solution.

4.	For a lot of health issues, the position for the medical industry is the second row, not the first.

5.	A big problem could have been fixed easily when it was a small problem.

6.	The fitness industry is good at solving both small and large health problems

SEE A FITNESS PRACTITIONER

Metabolic dysfunction

Either before or after first seeing their doctor, people showing symptoms of metabolic dysfunction need to see a fitness practitioner. If you don't know what the symptoms are you can view a list of dysfunctions on the epic fail page.

Being able to detect the symptoms doesn't require a degree in medical or rocket science, just year ten health.

In fact, seeking our medical advice isn't going to guarantee anyone that they are going to get the practical support they need to get themselves back into good metabolic health.

Based on the most common treatments of metabolic dysfunction it's obvious most doctors don't even search for the cause of the problem, even when it's staring them in the face.

People who have any of the symptoms of metabolic dysfunction need the guidance and support of a fitness practitioner. It’s a tough assignment trying to improve your metabolic health without a vigorous aerobic fitness a training program and diet free of the garbohydrates (yep that's a 'g' not a 'c'). It's even harder if the best nutritional advice is encouraging people to stuff themselves with wheat flour, sugar and milk.

Musculo-skeletal dysfunction

For people suffering from any sort of musculo-skeletal dysfunction, it’s highly likely that they're on the receiving end of a fitness problem, not a medical problem. People who lack sufficient strength and flexibility to keep their pelvis and the bones above it in good alignment end up with joint and muscle pain. Their musculature is not strong enough to manage every tasks of propulsion, lifting and locomotion without breaking down. They need help from a fitness practitioner.

The two guiding principles of lower back pain (and most other joint and muscle pain) are

1. it's muscles that take bones out of alignment

2. the cause of the pain is rarely at the site of the pain.

Non-clinical psychological dysfunction

For people suffering from non-clinical blue and black moods - they’re tired, lacking energy and feeling miserable - the fitness practitioner is a must see person.

How people feel is as much a reflection of the status of their metabolic health as their psychological health.

It is well known (but not in medical industry circles) that a daily dose of vigorous aerobic activity trumps a year’s supply of Prozac.

CHALLENGES ON THE FRONTLINE

The slope of the playing field

Governments around the world have sloped the health playing field in the direction of the medical and pharmaceutical industries. The irony is that despite billions being spent on treatments at the bottom of the slope, few of those treatments ever get people back to the top in rude health. That's something they have to do for themselves.

Here’s what the US Surgeon General, Julius Richmond had to say on the matter in 1979,

‘You, the individual, can do more for your own health and well-being than any doctor, hospital, drug or exotic medical device.’

He also said, the most important part of his job was

‘making sure the urgent doesn’t take precedence over the important.’

The work fitness practitioners do is both urgent and important.

One of our vaulting ambitions is to persuade governments that building fences at the top of the cliff is as important, if not more important that paying for ambulances to pick people up from the bottom of the cliff.

Medical and Pharmaceutical protection

Currently protection of the medical industry makes it cheaper and easier to lure someone into a surgery for a quick fix, rather than encouraging people to take themselves to a fitness practitioner, take a slightly longer term view and get themselves back into good physical condition.

Medical insurance arrangements

When medical and workers compensation insurance premiums are not rated against risk, it sends a message to people that they don't need to keep themselves in good shape. But it makes suckers of those who do. Their insurance premiums are higher than they should be.

It would help if governments, medical and workers compensation insurers were to

a.	acknowledge the inadequacy of the medical industry in the treatment of the personally-generated metabolic, musculo-skeletal and (non clinical) psychological dysfunctions

b.	recognise the expertise of fitness practitioners in dealing with these dysfunctions and encourage more people to use their services

c.	provide the fitness industry with the same level of protection and financial support as that given to the medical industry.

Programming and indoctrination

In the last 50 years Western society has become programmed to

a.	seek advice from a doctor or a chemist, rather than go to a fitness practitioner for the treatment of the personally-generated metabolic, musculo-skeletal and (non-clinical) psychological dysfunctions.

b.	maintain a sedentary, comfortable existence, unaware that scientific progress has, over the last couple of centuries been measured by the invention of more and more labour-saving devices that present humans with more and more opportunities to expend less and less energy

c.	survive on high-energy-density diets. The most successful branches of the nutrition and psychology industries have dedicated themselves to convincing people that foods made from various combinations of fat, flour, sugar and potato, which are tasty, cheap and instantly gratify hunger pangs – are good for them.

CONCLUSION

I started this page not sure whether propelling itself into the front line of primary health care is a small step or a giant leap for the fitness industry.

If a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, then its a small step that starts in every fitness centre, gradually drawing customers away from surgeries and chemist shops because of the quality of the advice and the outcomes are better.

As a disruptive technology it's low tech and high touch.

Health information does not have to be complicated or expensive. It is best received when it is practical and lasting results start to show in a matter of days or weeks.

A lot of fitness practitioners are already on the front line. They just need to assert their authority.

The Fitness Frontline: one small step for the fitness industry and one giant leap for community health, fitness and wellbeing.

Fitness Frontline a Division of Miller Health Pty ltd

7 Salvado Place, Stirling ACT 2611 Australia

(02) 6288 7703

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