Make America Fit Again
How many of us indulge in YouTube videos in our spare time? I am obsessed with YouTube. Who wouldn’t be, when you can watch almost anything you want? Whether you’re looking for simple entertainment or education on any topic, YouTube is your source. They even recommend videos based on your viewing habits, which can be a double-edged sword. Normally, I oppose these recommendations because they keep me on the site longer than I’d like, but one night, the YouTube algorithm knocked it out of the park. I was recommended a video titled "The Motivation Factor – Physical Education in Schools in the 1960s.” As a fitness specialist whose mission is to make the world healthy again, this title intrigued me. I had never considered that such high-quality physical education programs existed.
Though I engaged in sports from an early age, I attribute the P.E. classes of my youth as the seeds that blossomed into my career in the fitness industry. In P.E., I was introduced to push-ups, squats, pull-ups, and other fundamental movements. I started repeating these exercises in my room every night before bed. This was the beginning of my love affair with physical fitness, a relationship I’ve remained faithful to despite its challenges.
The Irrefutable Benefits of Exercise
The benefits of regular physical exercise are irrefutable. Physical activity improves every aspect of life: physical and mental strength, focus, confidence, self-esteem, weight, body composition, immunity, stress levels, drive, motivation, sexual experiences, social relationships, productivity, and the likelihood of achieving goals. The list goes on.
Envisioning a Fit Society
So, what would a society look like where everyone is fit and healthy? Does "fit and healthy" invoke the image of a tremendously aesthetically pleasing person with perfect posture, glowing skin, and a balance between muscle size and definition? You wouldn’t be wrong, but this is still a limited perspective on health.
Even I envision this ideal image of health. But how do we attain a true and complete level of fitness? What is required for us to be healthy and fit? A community where everyone is fit and healthy would be a better society. To answer why, we need to look beyond the image of "fit and healthy" to the experience of being fit and healthy.
Defining Health
The fitter you look, the better you are treated, but what does it feel like to be healthy? More importantly, what does it mean to be healthy? Have you ever asked yourself that question? We use the word "health" all the time, but what does it actually mean?
The etymology of "health" relates to the word "whole." "Healthy" derives from a word meaning "to heal," which means "to cure, to make sound and well, to make whole." The word "cure" means "to take care of." "Care" means "to feel concern or interest for." Thus, to be "healthy" means to be "concerned and interested" in everything related to your well-being. To mistreat your health is to show a lack of concern for your well-being.
The Individual and Society
If individuals mistreat themselves, the community to which they belong mistreats itself, and the individual's problem becomes the community's problem. Assess the health of the nation. Do you see a society of fit and healthy people?
The Logical Conclusion
Which society is better at providing for itself, defending itself, saving itself from threats, taking care of its neighbors, connecting with others, and innovating: a fit and healthy one or an unfit and unhealthy one? The logical conclusion is a fit and healthy society. Fit and healthy individuals yield a fit and healthy community, which in turn creates a fit and healthy society capable of self-reliance, protection, productivity, and connection.
Starting with the Individual
To create such a society, we must start at the individual level. The more unfit and unhealthy you are, the more you contribute to an unfit and unhealthy society. I watched the documentary “The Motivation Factor” and fell in love with its program. The fact that it was championed by a president and proved effective until his assassination is indicative of the challenges faced by those who try to create positive behavioral patterns in people.
This program creates a population capable of taking responsibility for their well-being. What society would you rather be a part of? If you desire a fit and healthy society, ask yourself, “What are you doing to live a healthier life? Are you moving your body every day? Are you eating right? Are you moderating what you watch and listen to? How do you think and feel about yourself?”
Addressing these questions is necessary for societal change. A fully functional, self-reliant, productive, loving society is linked to the health of its individuals. As an individual, what are you doing to improve your health and show concern for your well-being?
References
National Institute on Aging. (2020). Exercise and Physical Activity. Link
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Benefits of Physical Activity. Link
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2020). The Nutrition Source: Physical Activity. Link
"The Motivation Factor" Documentary. Link