Medical fitness is not a new concept. It is gaining traction, but still lags behind what the masses envision when we hear the word, fitness. Traditional fitness is associated with goals that have more to do with performance and aesthetics than overall wellness. When fitness is mentioned, visions of muscle-bound bodybuilders dance through our heads. Either that or spandex clad fitness class instructors bopping to the latest workout trend. Medical fitness set out to change that stereotype.
Although fitness has always been associated with being healthy, it has only been since the early 1990s that it has been truly recognized in the medical industry as a real solution for medical issues. Also, prevention of these issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes is and should be the rallying cry. It is not, however, only about prevention. Fitness is a real treatment for many diseases for which pills are prescribed. The evolving fitness club also took a turn in the 1990s as the industry boomed. People were joining clubs more than ever. Club chains expanded and new ones arose, but the focus and marketing were still mainly aesthetics related.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) was organized in 1954. Its mission is to integrate scientific research to provide practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. The last word, medicine, is key. Even though this mission incorporates professions from personal trainers to medical doctors the message of fitness as a medical treatment for disease still wasn’t clear. Scientific studies to understand how the body works specific to physical activity is great, but the message of using it as medicine still didn’t resonate with the general public and the medical industry on the whole. In 2007 the Exercise Is Medicine global initiative started as a joint effort between the ACSM and American Medical Association to further drive home the point of fitness as a medically sound treatment for disease.
Another organization, Medical Fitness Association, was created in 1991. Its primary goal is to continually push fitness as medicine, particularly with hospital fitness centers and other medically integrated fitness centers. When the average person joins a fitness club, however, it is doubtful that a medically integrated program such as diabetes prevention is at the top of the priority list. Again, changing the attitude toward fitness from “I want to look good in this outfit for the party next month” to a disease prevention and treatment modality is the message.
Although the message of medical fitness is becoming clearer, fitness club marketing is still stuck in 1985. It’s not only fitness clubs that continue this marketing. At home programs (like the Peloton line of products and services) continue to use images of instructors and participants that don’t represent the population. That, like the message of medical fitness, is getting a little better, but is still way off. A marketing professional might tell you how motivating it is to see a role model in great shape. For many this role model is simply an intimidating figure that reinforces what they can’t become.
Individuals may have specific, differing reasons for fitness participation. One of the reasons is rarely medical treatment and prevention. Continued collaboration of the fitness and medical industries is important. Beyond that the marketing message of what fitness can do for one’s health versus one’s appearance should be more prominent so that fitness reaches more of the population.
