CRISIS MODE: The State of Health & Fitness

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’re in the midst of a serious health crisis.

We really shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, we’re experiencing record rates of obesity, systemic disease, and orthopedic pain and injuries.

Just look around, it’s abundantly clear we’re in need of a serious change because this problem affects all aspects of life. People are overwhelmed, overfed, and overstimulated and it’s only getting worse.

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ve heard me talk about how crowded the health and fitness industry is. And how terrible most health, longevity, and performance solutions really are.

This isn’t my opinion—it’s a fact

Nearly all of my private 1:1 coaching clients have tried countless training programs, coaches, and diets that failed to deliver the results they promised.

I’d even go as far as to say most of them are in ‘EMERGENCY mode’ by the time they find me.
I know there are a few people who’ll think I’m being ‘dramatic’ when I say we’re in crisis mode. But I’m not the only one who believes this. I have DATA to support my beliefs.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine used current trends and projected… by 2030:

• One in two adults in the U.S. will be considered obese.
• One in four will be considered severely obese, with a BMI of 40 or higher.
• And obesity rates will climb to over 50% in over 29 states.

Which is scary as hell, considering increased obesity has been directly linked to:

To take it a step further, The World Health Organization found that the global average life expectancy INCREASED by 5.5 years between 2000 and 2016. So even though people are living longer, we’re seeing a DECREASE in “healthy years.”

Meaning, people are LOSING their health, resiliency, and performance years SOONER than they should be. This is what affects most people in my world.

The problem is, traditional healthcare (and the fitness industry) is NOT set up to fix the problem

Traditional healthcare isn’t helping.

Most doctors, trainers, and experts are so quick to prescribe short-term bandaids that treat symptoms, instead of the problem.

These aren’t solutions! They’re bandaids that address symptoms. They do NOTHING to treat the actual problem.

So when the majority of society plays by their rules? When they get wrapped into quick-fix solutions? When they get suckered by the overnight fitness coaches and programs with no REAL results or systems that back up their methods?

They can kiss their dreams of unlocking their true health, longevity, and performance potential goodbye.

If you’re reading this article I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir when I say…

If you lose your health, nothing else matters

But when it comes to losing your health, I’m not just talking about being obese, deathly sick, or developing a disease.

I’m also talking about the “normal” declines in health, longevity, and performance that most people just chalk up to being a normal part of aging.

You turn 30 and they say “wait until you turn 40.” In your 40’s they say “wait until you turn 50.” In your 50’s they say “wait until you turn 60.” And it never stops.

Tired, achy, weak, and uncoordinated becomes the norm. In fact, it’s what’s EXPECTED.

First, it’s your power. Running, jumping, catching yourself from falling after a slip, and anything else that requires you to generate force goes out the window.

Since you’re unable to generate power efficiently, your muscles don’t activate optimally. When you combine this decrease in activation with a decline in muscle-building hormones, you begin to lose muscle mass FAST.

A loss in muscle mass is also accompanied by a drop in coordination. And when your coordination suffers, you can kiss your balance goodbye.

Because the body begins to tighten the joints and decrease range of motion to stay safe. It’s the only way it can protect itself.

But let’s get something straight…

You’re NOT “just getting old”

When people’s quality of life and physical skills (and abilities) decline, it is NOT because of age.
It’s from a lack of proper training AND from learned disuse.

Meaning, you’re telling your body it’s not important and you don’t need it. I always think about the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin here. He asks “Is it true is you don’t use it, you lose it?!”

This is especially true when it comes to your physical skills, abilities, and characteristics that go into a high-performance life.

Age is NOT an excuse not to be able to move, function or perform the way our body was designed to. In fact…

You can literally REVERSE the aging process with smarter, more individualized training

To be clear, it’s important to note that training is a tool. Just like a hammer is a tool, it can be used for many different things. Both good and bad.

Your training should invigorate every aspect of your life. NOT leave you broken, burned out, or feeling like shit. People put so much effort into trying to reclaim their health, only to end up broken down, burned out, and hurt.

Most training programs and coaches determine the effectiveness of a training session on sweat, fatigue, and soreness. Let’s get clear on something. Any old “workout” can make you tired, sweaty and fatigued.

These are extremely poor indicators of an effective workout. It takes an intelligent approach to achieve your goals. Especially if you want to look better, feel better, and have a healthier body into your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond.

Your training should excite you. It should motivate you. It should be fun. And it should be something that you look forward to. Your training should ALSO produce results and help you achieve your goals. Because eventually the novelty of “fun” wears off, and your willpower is put to the test.

Knowing, in the back of your mind, that your training is making you BETTER… is the thing that will keep you pushing through the tough times. And at the end of the day… Becoming a healthier, fitter, and more empowered human-being is FUN in itself.

When done properly, age is NO LONGER A DISABILITY. It’s just a number. Pain and injuries are few and far between. You recover from training sessions faster. You bounce back from flare-ups quicker than ever. You look and feel your best. And you’re doing things other people your age couldn’t even fathom.

My private online coaching clients perform BETTER in their 40’s than they did in their 20’s, thanks to proper training.

Intelligent training CHANGES lives

Slowly but surely, people realize that DAILY HABITS fuels long-term progress.

Because achieving optimal health isn’t about crossing the finish line as fast as possible. And it can NOT solely be measured by a number on a scale.

Optimal health is a LIFESTYLE that you choose to live.

A lifestyle that helps you live LONGER and live BETTER.

If you want a positive shift in health, longevity, and performance… while reversing the aging process?

If you want to battle-back against chronic aches and pains while building a strong, lean and resilient body?

If you want to take your physique and performance to the next level?

You must STOP chasing calories in the gym and kitchen…

And shift your focus on building strength, transforming your physique and bulletproofing your body for life.

I truly feel one of my ‘jobs’ is to keep you well informed about this. I hope this served that purpose.

About The Author

Dr. John Rusin is a sports performance specialist and injury prevention expert that has coached some of the world’s most elite athletes, barbell sport competitors, and over 50,000 clients from all walks of life with his innovative pain-free performance programs and systems, which has gained him the reputation as the go-to industry expert for rebuilding after pain, injuries or plateaus. Dr. Rusin is also the founder of the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification (PPSC) that has certified over 2,500 personal trainers, strength coaches and rehab pros from across the globe in the pain-free performance training system over the past two years.