I had something else planned for today, but I’m going to deviate from it because this is freaking important and I don’t want to sit quiet on it anymore. And for me writing is therapeutic so here goes…
If you live in Ontario, Canada you know we are currently in the midst of our third lockdown in 14 months, vaccines are rolling out and numbers are starting to drop for the third time…good news but I have one issue that has cropped up for me many times over the last 14 months and today I am finally going to sit down and put my words on paper, because well I need to get them off my heart.
Throughout the entire course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario we have talked about the health of the people of Ontario (and Canada), but there is one very small and very important piece that has been left out of the equation. I applaud the people in the fitness industry that have been fighting from day 1, you guys are incredible and I admire you greatly. Up until this point I have been kind of a silent supporter for a couple of reasons…I know the importance of health and fitness, but I also do believe that there is benefit to shutting things down and limiting mobility to slow the spread of COVID-19. I guess I’ve been silent because I agree with those pushing for the re-opening of fitness facilities in some ways, but I also agree with the lockdowns in some ways. I’ve always come down in the middle which is why I’ve struggled to be vocal about it.
At this point however, I believe that no matter what the government of Ontario does and what decisions they are making they have from day 1 left health, fitness and wellness off the table and that is what has motivated me to speak out because honestly…it just needs to stop. How on Earth do you leave health and wellness out of a health crisis rocking the entire world…I just have no words.
The amount of research the indicates movement is part of a healthy lifestyle is insurmountable and this is not a new concept…this fact was true long before COVID-19 reared it’s ugly head. But for some reason these facts have been entirely ignored throughout the pandemic here in Ontario. Every time we have entered another lockdown the fitness industry has been the first to close and when we finally get back into a re-opening phase they are the last to open. Most recently, they have taken away recreation facilities (soccer fields, ball diamonds, ect) even to go and kick a soccer ball around with your kids and we are not able to teach outdoor fitness classes in any capacity despite the fact that health experts have generally said that outdoor activities have a low risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Over the last few days and weeks there is one thing that I keep coming back to. I look at grocery stores and pharmacies and I know that people need these places because if they don’t have access to them their health, wellness and overall quality of life is negatively affected. But can we stop and think for a minute about how many people’s health, wellness and overall quality of life are negatively impacted by the fact that they can’t access facilities and resources to be active? Even if you aren’t someone who is active or goes to the gym regularly you cannot deny that fitness and movement are not a part of a healthy lifestyle…just do a google search and you will thousands and thousands of hits stating this very fact…so why is it being neglected now, when the health and wellness of so many people are suffering…just why?
I want to address one more piece of this…there are people who can work out and be active at home…I’m one of those people. But we need to address the fact that this doesn’t work for a lot of people. This argument comes up time and time again but a lot of people don’t have access to the space or the resources they need to be able to build a gym at home. Yes people can go outside and go for a walk, run or a bike ride but for a lot people this just isn’t therapeutic for them. If there is one thing that I have learned about working in the fitness industry it’s this…people continue to engage in fitness and movement when they enjoy it and consistency and compliance is pretty much the hardest barrier for people to overcome. There are so many forms of fitness, but right now with the restrictions that are in place the number of different fitness/movement activities that people can engage in are extremely limited and this doesn’t work for a lot of people. What do they do instead…they may have at the beginning successfully engaged in virtual classes or at home workouts, but 14 months into this, those people are likely struggling with consistency and it’s not their fault. They probably had a routine before all of this, one that they freaking loved, and then in a split second it was all gone, and they just haven’t found something they are allowed to do right now that they love. This is basic behaviour change science, and although there are some things that they could do to counteract this problem in the short-term not everyone has the ability or the access to a coach to help them through this…so where does that leave people…
Struggling…that’s where it leaves people.
But people aren’t just struggling on their fitness journey. Stress levels from working at home and home schooling kids, are impacting fitness, nutrition, sleep, the list goes on and on. The fact that we can’t socialize and interact with our friends and family in person is freaking hard for people. Human beings are meant to socialize. A personal example for myself, my husband and I moved into our house at the end of Feb 2020. Most of our friends haven’t seen it, we haven’t been able to entertain people, we haven’t been able to show of something we are proud to own for over a year…so yeah I’m right there with you on the struggle bus. It sucks…and yes there is a light at the end of the tunnel coming slowly…not quickly enough for most people.
Movement, fitness, wellness education…it’s not going to solve every problem…I’m not naive enough to believe that. But the fact that professionals in this industry have not only been excluded from these conversations but forced to stop providing these services that change people’s lives for the better leaves me speechless. In a time when we are all struggling…in different ways yes, but struggling nonetheless, our health and wellness is something in the past we have always been able to take into our own hands. There has always been something that we can do to improve those areas of lives, but right now…that’s just not the reality for a lot of people and as much as I wish I had the answer I don’t…
But I do know this…if you are struggling on your health, fitness and wellness journey right now please, please reach out. If there is anything that I can do to help, in any way please just ask. Most people who work in this industry choose it for a reason…they choose to help people…they choose it to change people’s lives and even though COVID-19 has made that difficult it’s not impossible…and I do believe that this industry will be more important than it’s ever been post-pandemic. The health, fitness and wellness industry is not the problem in this, we are a part of the solution (not the only solution, but yes certainly a part of it) and we need a space at the table. You deserve better, your health and wellness matters and it should not be neglected for anything ever…period.
Stay safe, stay healthy and keep your chins up…the light is coming. ❤
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