I started teaching fitness classes ten years ago, without any experience beyond my own attendance in classes. Marie, my friend and mentor, needed a sub for her kickboxing and yoga classes, so I held my breath and jumped in. Luckily, the members at that gym were very patient as I found my confidence and built up my skill set. The more I taught, the more variety I saw in age, ability and body awareness.
The fitness and nutrition industry has come a long way since 2009, and it is still one of the most lucrative and least regulated in our society. Particularly with the advent of social media sites, it is very easy to take advantage of the vulnerabilities and desires of people to lose weight or firm up as fast as possible with the least amount of effort.
Many people will buy books that they never read, treadmills that they never use, join gyms that they don’t go to, find paleo crock pot recipes that they don’t make and follow dozens of ”fitness personalities” on Instagram and YouTube with the hope that something will work.
Millions of dollars are made by ensuring that people maintain the illusion that they will only look and feel good if they buy someone else’s expertise or product. The industry relies on the fact that most gym members aren’t aware of fundamental body mechanics and have a hard time self-motivating.
The mission of the Health Hub is to foster a larger-scale community recreation center in South Lane County, and to create a connection between healthcare providers like doctors and physical therapists, fitness facilities and other organizations and agencies invested in community health and wellness.
By offering low-cost fitness classes and activities for people of all ages and abilities with an emphasis on basic body mechanics and nutritional awareness, we hope to enable every member to gain the confidence, take knowledge with them and put it to work for the rest of their lives.
Healthy living shouldn’t be expensive and it shouldn’t feel like homework – but it should be easily and equally accessible for everyone. In this age of skyrocketing healthcare costs, these ideas are more important than ever.