Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your personal trainer in Amarillo. Do you have fitness equipment piled up in your house that is collecting cobwebs? Today we are taking a look at those tools and what to do about them. If you have any questions about things you are storing away in your home or would like to learn how to better incorporate those instruments in your routine, give us a call: 806-322-3188. Our trainers can design a program to help you put your junk to use.
The fitness and health industry has a savvy ability to draw millions upon millions of dollars from people who are desperately seeking an answer to their health and fitness needs. There are too many people today who suffer from a multitude of health problems. This struggle causes them to go on the hunt for a “magic pill”: a simple cure for all of their ailments. The fitness industry knows this and seems to jump right in to offer them a solution (be it smoke and mirrors). The funny thing is that most people looking for the “magic pill” tell me they do not even take their vitamins regularly because they hate taking pills! I guess I should change the definition to a one time, tolerable, end all; be all cure…that tastes better than vitamins. That seems doable, right?
So what we as consumers face is an industry preying on people who have serious health issues and desperately want(need) help. We are given just enough information to cause more trouble than good. Worse yet, we are led to believe that in order to get to XYZ goal, you MUST HAVE this XYZ compatible product! That’s where the problems come up. Most uneducated people buy said product in an effort to achieve their desired goal. **As a side note, this is not often the case for Custom Fitness clients. Our personal trainers in Amarillo make sure we arm you with the latest research to combat this kind of knee jerk reaction and guide you to your goals with evidence based research rather than gullible marketing. Owning one piece of equipment for each goal we embark to conquer is why many of us have room under our beds or in our closets any longer. Thus, the pile of fitness novelties grows. Once you buy it, what happens? You use it once, twice, or if it’s really good, maybe even for a whole year. But in the end, our goals become less vivid as the results plateau, and that once glittery and wonderful, life changing equipment becomes another clothes hanger (ever owned a treadmill?), dust collector or just garbage that you couldn’t even get 10 cents on the dollar for.
Most people get suckered into buying and trying these things and they begin to build collections of these things. Collections, however, WILL NOT get you results! It’s time to eliminate the clutter and find a solution…a simple, efficient solution that doesn’t cause you to have to go rent another storage unit. :o)
So what are the most popular items for fitness enthusiasts to collect and forget (or become unable to get rid of)?
Gym Memberships!
You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all met that person who has like 5 or 10 gym cards on their key ring (let’s face it, it’s mostly for decorative bragging rights). They belong to so many gyms and all with logical reasoning as to why. They probably haven’t even GONE to the gym in a while, if ever, and instead keep paying the gym just so when they decide to go, it will be there. If this is you, try adding up how much money has gone to waste “renting” the gym equipment that you rarely use.
Exercise equipment
This is a big one for people who leave the gym environment because it’s cheaper to have your own equipment rather than rent theirs…right? Not true. About 78% of people (that statistic could be a little low) don’t touch the stuff they have furnished in their home gym ! I’ve had clients who installed full gyms in their homes but never workout. That makes no sense. Why spend the money if you don’t get results? Part of the issue always comes down to…it looked cool when it first came out but I don’t know what else I can do with it. From BOSUs, to TRX’s, to weight benches and everything in between, it is just too much!
Fitness novelties
This can include things like fitness watches (i.e. Fitbit and other brands), water bottles, special gym clothes, weight lifting gloves, special shoes, etc. While these can provide great benefits at times, these should not be in a “collection of unused things”. I hate to see people waste money on something with the premise of “if I just had x,y,z, then I could do what I need to do”. The honest truth is that no matter what you have, you CAN do what you need to do. The only thing you have been missing is a plan.
Educational Materials.
Meaning the latest nutrition manual, workout magazines, Pintrest boards, workout dvds, fitness stream memberships, etc. You’d be shocked to know how much is spent annually on this type of media. And for what? Most often when people have this much knowledge at their fingertips, THEY DON’T USE IT! It sits there. Sure, they try it a few times and then decide it wasn’t right for them. Biggest problem here is the subscription services (just like the gym memberships) people don’t cancel them. Sure $12.95 a month is not a bad deal if you are using the service but it adds up over time and if you’re not using it, you’re wasting your money! The online libraries are even worse. It seems that once you file away that new program you purchased with all of the bonuses, you eventually forget it is even there. Money Wasted.
The action steps needed here are quite simple:
First, clean out all of the stuff you do not use. Whether you used it once, a hundred times or never, if it’s not being used now, get rid of it.
Second, either simplify your plan of action to incorporate only a minimal amount of fitness necessities or explore the idea of getting some professional help (no not mental, unless you just can’t part with your shake weight that’s never produced a single muscle). Receiving help from a fitness professional who can:
a) show you what to do with the equipment you have,
b) show you how to use the gym membership you have or
c) show you what you can do with the BODY you have. Sometimes all it takes to reach these seemingly impossible goals is the right motivation, help and open mindedness. It is absolutely amazing to see what people can do with minimal equipment and the right plan of action.
If you have reached a point where you are ready to clean out the collection and actually see results, reach out to the trainers at Custom Fitness. We are ready to help you step beyond the clutter and into a healthier lifestyle. As always, if you have any questions about our personal training, nutrition counseling, or group classes and programs, please contact us at: info@customfitness.biz or 806-322-3188. At Custom Fitness we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day everybody.