Fitness Magazines: Friend or Foe?

Over the years I have checked out my fair share of fitness magazines. I like to stay current and know what my clients and the general population is reading about in the fitness magazines. Do you want to know which ones I subscribe to? Would it surprise you to know that I don't subscribe to any of them? I have mixed emotions about fitness magazines. Some of them are better than others and I do find some of the photos and articles motivating. For me, at age 50, I have trouble taking fitness advise from someone in their 20's, so I look for articles written by and about my baby-boomer peers. Mostly, I look for the exercise ideas. Beyond that, I'm lucky if I find one or two things, that are really valuable. Many times what I read is just a bunch of fluff, like 7 Ways to Thinner Thighs, or Flat Abs Fast, Drop 2 Sizes in 4 Weeks, 10 Fat-Fighting Meals and 22 Ways to Sweat. Have you noticed that fitness magazine titles are big on using numbers in them. Like making a list and numbering each item is the way to get in shape. When I'm reading a fitness magazine, I don't care about makeup tips or sexual advice. Most of what they write about is the same old, same old. The fact is we all know how to get in shape. It's not rocket science. Exercise and eat right. People spend hours reading about what to do, how to do it and when to do it, but apparently they are not implementing any of the suggestions, because we as a society continue to grow bigger and bigger. Put down the magazines and go for a walk. Get your heart rate up and keep it there for 30 minutes. Lift some weights and challenge your muscles. Eat the good foods and skip the bad ones. You already know which is which. Keep your portion sizes under control, drink a lot of water and get adequate rest. That's about it, but every month fitness magazines try to think of new inventive ways to say the same things over again. Reading fitness magazines will not get you in shape. In fact, I wonder if they do they opposite. Like Baz Luhrmann's lyrics  to the song Wear Sunscreen, "Do not ready beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly." Maybe reading fitness magazine makes you feel fat. That's good if it motivates you to do something about it, but bad if it paralyzes you and makes you feel badly. Let me know what you think!