Ultimate Elixir of Youth - What the World Needs More Of

Research throughout the years has taught us one thing - exercise is the elixir of youth. In my day, I was taught "rest" not "exercise". In my personal experience and in my family values, the value of daily exercise has been learned. Sadly, we as society are just starting to grasp the concept. The United States government has been actively promoting fitness for over 4 decades with little progress. We remain a society that is bulging, obesity is growing. What can help is a visual reinforcement of what our bodies are made up - muscle. We have 640 muscles in our body. The most valuable asset we own is often overlooked and neglected if not abused on a daily basis. An exercise poster can help. A poster showcasing the resting heart rate of the elite athlete verses the couch potato. A poster detailing our target heart rate. A poster detailing stretches to help our muscles remain more flexible. All of these are simply visual statements - in an inexpensive product made simply of paper and laminated.

Where are the posters needed? Surprisingly, health clubs pride themselves upon machines but little attention is given to the motivating and educational poster.

Surprisingly, no one markets a poster specifically to the health clubs detailing the stretch and recommending a session with a personal trainer to learn more.

Resting Heart Rate Poster

Surprisingly, the resting heart rate is not measured nor tracked by the individual. Showcasing the difference between an elite athletes heart rate and how efficient of a machine it can become is a number that is tangible, meaningful and motivational.

Proper Posture Posters

Proper posture is needed in all of our daily activities. Proper posture when exercising makes the difference between a great workout and a workout that leads us to injury. Where are the proper posture posters in our health clubs and wellness centers? Where are these posters in our school gymnasiums? We must instruct and reinforce with visuals. The cheapest and most effective reinforcement is a poster.

Tracking Posters. Surprisingly, there are no laminated posters for home. A small 8 x 10 poster to simply track your exercise routine and your resting heart rate. Our resting heart rate will not change immediately, it will change over time. For myself, and please keep in mind, I have a heart patient, I have a heart murmur, my resting heart rate is up to 94 beats per minute when I am not performing regular cardio and/or interval training. When I am on my routine, my resting heart rate ..... drum roll please .....drops to 64! Look at the efficiency of my largest muscle in my body. Look at the effect I can have upon my body mechanics!

As my active readers know, I love the balance ball and bosu posters. As a former professor teaching communications, the value of a visual is critical. Most of of learn by a visual - 80% is visual learning. It is not words, it is not doing - it is seeing.

My dream is to see as many exercise posters as there are fitness equipment.

My dream is to see every home gym have a poster of the muscles, a poster of the heart rate and a poster of exercises of their choice.

My dream is to see every health club to have:

1. proper posture posture
   
2. muscle poster
3. heart rate poster
4. resting heart rate poster
5. stretching poster
6. exercise posters - one for Yoga, Pilates, Bosu, and the Balance Ball
7. posters detailing the education and training of personal trainers on staff
8. posters in every room for ALL fitness classes (this is important to cross promote your classes - water needs to promote land, land needs to promote water).
   

My dream is to see home gyms have exercise posters and a tracking poster either for their home gym or for their bathroom or kitchen. A small 8 x 10 poster, laminated where you can track your exercise progress. If this exists - please email me and let me know!

My dream is for all swimming pools to have a poster of exercises for water aerobics.

My dream is for all swimming pools to have a poster of proper swimming form for using a kick board.

My dream is for all exercise rooms to have a poster that showcases stretches for bad backs.

I am not trying to cut into the personal trainer instruction, I am trying to support the instruction of the personal trainer. This is not just education and training, it is promotion of basic knowledge of fitness that highlights the skill and training of the personal trainer.

ALL Health Club posters should detail at the end - see your personal trainer for further instruction and advise. The exercise poster is simply the starting point.

As a Marketing Director, furthermore, I would like to see a complete series of posters that match. The colors and the statement that is made on the walls of the gym build the brand for that club. The colors and the fonts should all relate back to the goals of the brand image. A body building gym has a different brand image to uphold from a 5 star hotel fitness room, etc... The website for the club should be added to each and every poster.

Making the world a better place is sometimes a very simple matter of asking. Ask your health club today to make the small investment in more educational and training posters. Buy an exercise poster for a friend for a gift for this holiday season. Add two of your favorite posters to your home gym. Invest in an exercise poster, invest in your health, motivate yourself to understand your body and the critical need to work the 640 muscles in your body. Understand how cardio helps your body run efficiently. Live, learn, feel the difference you can make on that great temple that houses your mind, your body and your soul.

Disclaimers Copyrights and Disclosures

Medical Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only. None of the products promoted or sold here are designed to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or ailment. Please contact your physician for additional information, diagnosis, testing, or advice on how to use the information/products listed on this site.

Copyright: © 2010 Gma Goldie All Rights Reserved - GmaGoldie loves to share her ideas but greatly appreciates credit for her hard work. Please email the author for permission for use of terms and ideas shared in this or other Gma Goldie articles on health, fitness and exercise.

FTC Disclosure: The author holds an MBA and is a certified personal trainer. She has held various leadership positions in major corporations and premier governmental agencies. She is the inventor of the patented EZ Swimmer - a fitness tool used in water aerobics to help target tone using your own body weight in the swimming pool. She loves to share her studies on health, fitness, the environment and filtered water. She has held various leadership roles including risk manager, Deputy Treasurer and most recently as Finance Director and Marketing Director. She maintains an active consulting practice specializing in strategic planning, finance and marketing. The author has no affiliation with the companies listed within this article.