DEAR ALL FITNESS PROFESSIONALS: STOP FIGHTING YOUR OWN TEAM

For some of you who know me well, this article may come as a surprise to you as I have been on the side that I will soon be preaching against. But then again with all life lessons (and really stubborn people), sometimes you just have to live it, understand it was a mistake, and move on. In my particular case, this lesson just hit me about a week ago, and here is my proposal:

DEAR ALL FITNESS PROFESSIONALS: STOP FIGHTING YOUR OWN TEAM!!

Before I realized this lesson, I was always a loyal fan to any sort of fitness trend that I personally enjoyed       (as we all are). In 2005 I started working out at a gym and attended kick-boxing to deal with some high school girl drama I was going through. In 2006 I fell in love with a step aerobics class full of ladies twice my age. In 2007 I tried my first yoga class, hated it, and talked crap about yoga to anyone who asked me about it for the next 6 years (please keep in mind that I was a personal trainer this entire time) until trying it again and having it change my life. Later that year I became a varsity NCAA Cross Country athlete. In 2008 I started teaching step aerobics, abs, and spin classes. In 2009 I became a Pearl Izumi/2XU triathlon freak and ditched everything I knew about exercise and cross training out so I could solely swim, bike, and run. In 2011 I got bored and started mountain biking for Colorado State Univeristy. I got into the extreme kind of riding (pads, helmets, etc), and never had time for the gym due to way too much shredding on the mountain. In 2012 I became more of a full time personal trainer and started trying all of the group fitness classes the gym offered to see what I could recommend. Classes included: BodyPump, Zumba, Pilates, BodyCombat, and TurboKick. In 2013 I tried CrossFit. In 2014 I am a fan of ACTIVITY, whatever that might be. Please keep in mind that this is a BRIEF run down of my years of exercise mainly just highlighting what my favorite form of exercise was that year.

The point of all of this is that I have honestly tried almost every fitness trend out there and at one point or another I have talked crap about everything that hasn't been suiting for me at the time. If I was training for a triathlon, the thought of going to step aerobics made me laugh out loud. If I was a mountain biker the thought of going to a pilates class was silly. If I was a personal trainer, the thought of my clients going to classes that would potentially teach them different ways of doing things turned me into a close minded trainer who truly talked against things like BodyPump and Zumba, and I know from experience that I am not alone in this. When I was a personal trainer I listened to hundreds of my fellow co-workers opinions on different exercise programs and harsh critiques on things like CrossFit, HIIT, TRX, and functional training. Some trainers believed solely in training for physique and strength, while others did movements that were so complex you couldn't even find them online. I have listened to road bikers and hikers talk down to mountain bikers, and also mountain bikers talk the same way about road bikers and hikers. I have heard CrossFitters talk crap about globo-gyms and also heard fitness models talk down to CrossFitters. I have heard high school coaches tell their students that the way they learned to squat in CrossFit isn't right, and I have heard CrossFit coaches say that the kids high school coaches don't know what they are talking about. I have seen YouTube videos of moms doing exercises with their kids and comments from other moms about how dangerous that could be. Even more I have heard yogi's talk crap about pilates, and drive away with a "Namaste" bumper sticker on the back of their cars. I have heard of girls not lifting weights because their boyfriends told them it will make them bulky (puke). I have heard it all - the list could go on and on because everyone has to have an opinion, especially fitness professionals who literally believe they KNOW IT ALL.

At one point I have also been almost all of those people. So I get it! But it is time to stop this trash talking and support everyone who is in our field! I think many times the root of this stems from insecurity and/or fear of competition. The truth is, we all go through so many chapters in our lives that sometimes CrossFit can't give us the peace of mind that meditation can. Sometimes a boot camp program can be much more enjoyable for people who have a hard time focusing in a yoga class. Sometimes kick boxing is a much better stress relief than Zumba. Sometimes, after staying at home watching kids all day, Pure Barre is the best thing that a woman can do for her social life. The best part about ALL of these programs and fitness trends is that no matter what they believe in or how they teach, the are GETTING PEOPLE MOVING. Getting people moving means a healthier nation, lower blood pressure, decreased chance of developing Type II Diabetes, decreased chance for cardiovascular disease, weight loss, decreased obesity, enhanced moods leading to happier people with greater confidence in themselves, peace of mind, stress relief......... should I keep going? If you are a fitness professional yourself you already know all of the benefits of exercises which is why you choose to help people experience it every day. But seriously, let's change our mentality from us vs. them to look at the bigger picture and BE IN SUPPORT OF ANY SORT OF ACTIVITY that we have the power to promote.

If one of my clients continues to show up to workouts fatigued, overwhelmed, and without energy, I am going to recommend they add in some yoga sessions at my favorite yoga studio to their schedule to help them relax. If one of my clients can't meet with me a couple of days a week and he/she doesn't feel comfortable in the weight room, I will recommend BodyPump with the instructor I met the other day at the store. If I know one of my clients loves to ride their bike, I am going to program in a local group ride one day a week for them to join. My overall goal is to enhance my clients lives by teaching them how to stay active and have fun, because at some point I am going to move, or travel, or get sick, and despite that I will know that my client will have alternatives to staying active. That, in my opinion, is what a true personal trainer/group fitness program is for.

Support your fellow trainers and coaches and let's stop with the memes and the passive aggressive comments about exercise programs that aren't in line with OUR personal interests. We are truly all in this together and if there is a program out there that is keeping someone active (yes, even Prancercise) that is f-ing AWESOME.