Dear Fitness Industry,

Is mental health invisible to you?

Every day I see your ads of perfect washboard abs, popping pecs and slim line glowing legs.

Yet I see nothing on the mental struggle required to drop any number of lbs?

Every day I see your ads of the latest supplements, shakes and superfoods on the block.

Yet I see nothing on emotional eating and the challenges millions face with this?

Every day I see your ads of super-hot fitness models and elite level athletes perform crazy gym exercises showcased to shock.

Yet I see nothing to help ease the phobia many have to even walk into a gym.
Every day I see the egotistical, shirtless side of your persona.

Yet I see little relatable content which speaks to me?

Speaks to the clients I serve?

Or speaks to 95% of the population I live among.

For the most part, you’re turning us all off with your fake shit.

With a reported 1 in 4 of us expected to experience a mental health problem this year, you – dear fitness industry, bare a huge responsibility.

A responsibility to stop creating environments where people feel further judged because of the way they look, or their perceived lack of fitness. To stop creating a way of thinking that bares bullshit slogans like “Go Hard or Go Home”. And to stop fashioning a belief that in order to be happy and successful, you must (must!) own a set of abs.

Instead, you’ve a responsibility to create a space where every ability can feel included and celebrated for their efforts. A space where failure is accepted as being part of the process, with an empathetic hand always on offer to pick those down, back up again. A space where happiness is viewed as being comfortable in your own clothes, or developing a level of control and sanity around your food, or having the confidence to go out jogging on the streets without a care who sees.

Ultimately, you’ve a responsibility to create a space where people can feel they belong.

Because right now, the majority feel so alienated from your fairy tale like identity – they don’t belong.

I’m writing of this through both my own experiences with mental health and fitness, and from those of my clients I’ve worked/am working with.

A day like today is a stark reminder to my industry that helping people achieve mental health is just as important as helping the same people achieve physical health in life.

Sure HIIT workouts, vegetables and flattening tummy goals have their place in maintaining your health and happiness… But so does having a glass of wine with your friends, spending valuable time with your loved ones and learning to accept your body as it appears right now.
Finding balance is key.

And finding this balance is something I’ve been working on for years, having been caught up in the world of body perfectionism for too long. It consumed my world and I suffered for sure.

If you’re suffering today, in any way. Reach out.

Reach out to loved ones, reach out to someone you trust, or reach out to me here.

Because bearing it alone is a burden too heavy for anyone to walk around with each and every day.
World Mental Health Day 2017…. Time To Wake Up To It Fitness Industry.

(Picture taken from this morning’s walk out – an underrated exercise for health if ever there was one)

What Next?

Most people know that regular movement, being mindful of portions and managing cravings, are important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge in the context of their busy, sometimes crazy lives.

That’s why I’ve recently created a free online 21 day programme here at EJay Fit – to help you start losing fat and winning back control of your body. It’s completely free, delivered straight through to your smart phone and it’s purposely designed to help you build the essential foundations needed for successful long term weight loss.

I’ve also set up a small, private Facebook group so I can provide you with any help you need in dealing with the challenges you face. I hang around in there to answer any questions, offer support and post anything that I think will be useful to your health and weight loss goals. The group is 100% private and is exclusively for people on a similar journey to your own.