What it Means to Move as an American

This concept came to me after listening to a podcast one of my clients sent me on The President’s Physical Fitness Test, which is definitely worth a listen when you get a chance. As a former Suffolk County Zone Award Winner, which basically means you were a good student and participated in physical education class, I realized that I was the outlier, not the norm. It inspired me to think about how fitness has mostly been a core element in my life, but that’s not the case for all.

So, I started thinking about the question, what does it mean to move as an American? We’ve created a $22.4 billion dollar fitness industry that includes a plethora of ways to move the human body. It seems as if new methods of exercise are developed overnight and I’m always amazed at the ingenuity folks have in complicating the 7 basic movement patterns. Just last night I was presented with a new company that adds a physical precision suit to your routine to be more efficient and impactful in your personalized movement routine. Bradley Cooper claims he works harder and sweats a lot, so therefore it must be worth it. More results, less time, more impact. How many “new” methods have you seen that promise faster results and excitement toward an aesthetic body goal?

I’m all in for new ways to move, and truly believe every body can move how it wants to, as well as when it wants to. However, how far away from being human do we need to run before the U.S. realizes we’ve gone too far? It seems as if the newer methods are requiring more equipment, more specificity, and more money.

Many American adults work long hours, as do American children who are also logging more hours in schools, activities or at child-care while their parents work. The emphasis on work and efficiency is rooted in the fabric of the industrial revolution and U.S. capitalism, which has now infused its way into the way Americans physically move. I was recently approached by a company to be an ambassador and their claim is that they can get you fit in 15 mins using their proprietary, fast and effective approach. As you can imagine, I passed on the offer, and wondered if the intern even did their research. Working all the time is normalized, which means Americans are either forced to squeeze movement into their days or forgo it entirely. Now this is what impacts our generational health as children are more likely to be active if their parents engage in physical activity.

Going outside for a walk in nature has become a luxury for some Americans, both from a time and accessibility perspective. If you live in a suburban or rural neighborhood you might think that I’m crazy, but think about the 80% of Americans who live in an urban area. Per the Trust for Public Land, “nationwide, 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not have a park within a 10-minute walk of home.” Also, how many people are walking the once highly sought-after 10,000 steps a day, also known as 5 miles? A recommendation that has slowly drifted into the background as global activity levels continue to decline.

So what does it mean to move as an American? Right now it seems like it means you have to make time for it, if you are even able to do that. And if you can’t figure that out, well, the U.S. fitness industry will shame you for it because you must not want it that badly since you can’t seem to “carve out the time.”

Do you exercise before work or after, or maybe before the kids wake up, or during nap time, or maybe you have a job that allows you to take time in the middle of the day, or maybe after dinner, and the laundry, and the cleaning, and the shopping, and the friends, and the family, and the oh wait now you’re too exhausted. Don’t worry, we’ll try again tomorrow or maybe when you retire.

How many times will we try before we realize the system is broken, not the people? The number one barrier to exercise is lack of time, yet the CDC recommendation is to still multitask while doing it. So can you please just fit one more thing into your day?

If you haven’t realized yet, sustainable health takes time and you know what efficiency hates, more time. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” In the U.S. we’re just starting to realize this concept, yet our healthcare system is still run on diagnosis codes and insurance reimbursement. It’s a little difficult to treat a patient for an ICD-10 code of overworked, overtired, and overstimulated.

Here’s where I promise you: my fitness routine will solve all your problems. But I’m not going to do that, because what I want you to take away from this article is that you’re doing great.

It’s a lot to be a human in this world and I see how hard you’re working. Movement is human and in our world today movement is also medicine. It doesn’t matter how you move or what method you’re drawn to, as long as you move and you’re mindful of your intention. I sarcastically jab at the CDC and its recommendation to build movement into your day, but that's the exact recommendation I also use for my clients. Why? Because we’re not going to change capitalism overnight and yes, you still need to put food on your table. So let’s start to affect the things we can control and that means we can choose how we’re moving our bodies.

I encourage you to think about where your relationship with movement comes from? Did it start in gym class or at home? Heck, maybe you are already exercising 7 times a week. I want you to think about where that comes from as well, and then ask yourself this question, what does it mean to move as a human, as an American? 

Moving your body to feel good is a lot different than moving to shrink your size or bulk up, and I hope you start to explore that.