Welcome to Fitness and Philosophy! Above all you will find facts, research on health and fitness, and philosophical engagement with the material. Philosophy has always been near and dear to my heart. Beyond academia it has helped me to understand so much about myself, my life, people, politics etc.
Furthermore, the type of philosophical engagement you will find here is part existential, part socio-political, part stoic, maybe some metaphysics…I’m working on a list. Most importantly, this is an exercise and attempt to help decolonize the fitness and health industry, through the critical and philosophical valuation of health and fitness trends and practices.
Decolonizing fitness and health requires us to engage with all the material, the research, the culture in gyms, individual professionals and organizations in the industry, and trends that neglect (whether on propose or not) to exclude black and indigenous people, and other people of colour.
As such, be prepared to consider health and fitness beyond pumping iron and burning calories!
Decolonizing Fitness and Health:
First and foremost, this blog was born out of my love for fitness and philosophy. Throughout my career as a fitness specialist I have found that the industry lacks the philosophical lustre that it deserves.
Why do we exercise? What does a commitment to our own health and fitness bring to our lives? Does it add any value? Can it contribute to living a good life? What keeps the industry from moving forward? How can we make it more accessible to everyone? My list of questions can go one forever.
More importantly, as a person of colour (I’m Syrian/Lebanese if you’re wondering) I have always felt that the fitness and health industry lacked more colourful consideration. That people of colour, black and indigenous people are not represented as much as white people.
In my experience, most personal trainers are white, most teachers are white, gym owners, health and fitness gurus all white. Just look up any of the people who created the most popular diets: Robert Atkins (Atkins diet), Martin Berkhan (Intermittent fasting), Loren Cordain (Paleo Movement), Russell Morse Wilder (Ketogenic diet) all white.
As such, the immediate issue is one involving representation. We only get to hear from a singular, unified voice that excludes the contributions of other ethnicities at best.
My questions are: Where are the voices of the marginalized? Why are they not represented? Why don’t we see more people of colour on the front pages of magazines, inside magazines? Where are all there contributions?
It can’t be because people of colour, black and indigenous people don’t want to do it. In my experience they’re people with tremendous passion for fitness and health. These people have shared with me their stories and experiences. Perhaps the lack of representation may have something to do with their voice being pushed to the fringes.
As such, I want to make this a place where marginalized people can contribute and share their thoughts.
What you will find:
First, this is mainly a space for people who are 35 and older, and/or relatively new to health and fitness. This isn’t to say that other people won’t find helpful and informative content. But I want to make it clear that I’m not trying to cater to ‘gym rats’, or anyone wanting to use exercise solely as a weight loss tool.
Second, I love teaching people about health and fitness. Not long since I began my career as a fitness specialist that I began to notice a pattern in terms of what my clients wanted. Specifically, many of them wanted more than just someone who will take them through exercise circuits and count their reps. They want more value.
Specifically, people want more insight into proper form and technique, and what constitutes good movement for each of them. Second, they want to know the purpose and application of training beyond “it’s good for your heart and your muscles will grow”. Third, they want progress, in that they don’t just want to do it because it’s good for them. They want to become better.
Finally, this is a place where the average person can learn how to properly invest in their own health and fitness. You’ll find instructional videos, as well as research on different exercise modalities and their application. Additionally, there will be information on diet and nutrition, as well as critical analysis of different health and fitness trends.
All this said, If you don’t find what you’re looking for then feel free to email me your thoughts and suggestions. I will do my best to add more of the relevant content that people are looking for, and please remember to follow my Facebook page and Instagram account for more helpful content!