Sisters-in-Service
Are you a women veteran who feels unseen and unheard? Do you struggle with finding your purpose after service? Sisters-in-Service is a podcast that gives women veterans the platform to talk about those exact issues and more. Hear from other veterans, military spouses and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) just like you that have overcome their transition from the military. Every Tuesday this podcast encourages women veterans to stand up and be counted because as a group we have a voice. From your host - Cat Corchado - The Voice Connecting Women Veterans
Sisters-in-Service
Unmasking Fitness Fads: A Reality Check on Quick-Fix Solutions
Ever scrolled through social media and been bombarded with workouts promising a "new body in 30 days" or muscles like military personnel after just a week of training? As your movement specialist with over four decades in the fitness industry, I'm pulling back the curtain on these enticing but problematic quick-fix solutions.
The appeal is understandable—who wouldn't want rapid results with minimal time investment? These programs promise transformation through short, equipment-free workouts you can do at home. They showcase incredible before-and-after photos and testimonials that make success seem guaranteed and accessible. But there's a darker reality behind the marketing. Many of these programs set unrealistic expectations, lack sustainability, increase injury risk, and neglect the holistic approach true fitness requires. Those perfect bodies in the ads? They might be AI-generated. Those impressive results? Unlikely for most people, especially beginners.
True fitness begins from within—your body needs time to adapt and strengthen before external changes become visible. Rather than jumping into an intensive 7-day program, I recommend starting with just one day weekly if you're new to fitness. Listen to your unique body; what works for a celebrity or influencer may not work for you. I need a combination of weight training, stretching, and Pilates for my body, while others thrive with just one approach. Sustainable change beats quick fixes every time. Have questions about a fitness program you're considering? Reach out to me at Cat@SmallSpacePilates.com for a free 30-minute consultation—no sales pitch, just honest guidance to help you feel good in your body. Remember, fitness isn't a 30-day challenge; it's a lifelong journey worth doing right.
Good morning everyone and welcome to the latest episode of why Not Wellness. I'm your host and movement specialist, kat Cortado, now for years. Some of you may know that I've been in the fitness industry for a long time 40 plus years and fitness fads come and go. But I don't know if, like me, you've been on any of the social media platforms and you've been noticing a lot of fitness fads okay or quick fix solutions. So we're going to talk about what these are, if and when, how to know they're appropriate for you, and sometimes they could be scams. So I just wanted to talk a little bit about diving into this world of fitness where a lot of people are kind of is this for me, is not for me, I don't know, but we're going to take a quick look at this. So I was on social media Name one of the platforms. I'm on all of them. I'm always looking for what's happening. What do I see? So lately, I've been seeing a lot of military workouts. I've been seeing a lot of ABC 123, pilates, all kinds. I've been seeing a lot of workouts for Tai Chi. I've been seeing a lot of workouts that guarantee that you will look better in one week, feel better in the second week and in a month, have a whole new body.
Speaker 1:I have something to say about those, okay, so, first of all, what's the allure of a quick fix? Some people hate to work out. They're like oh, I got to spend an hour in the gym, I got to spend an hour doing this, or however long you think a long time is. Well, it's attractive because it doesn't take a lot of time and you get results. Okay, let me backtrack there. There's no quick fix. There just isn't. I'm sorry, even if you're taking the GLP once, there's no quick fix. Even that takes time. If you're looking to get healthier, if you are looking to feel better, not just for the summer, but from the summer on then a quick fix isn't your answer. Now, there are quick type of workouts that you can do if you're you know, don't have the time, I get that, but let's talk about this a little bit.
Speaker 1:So what is the allure of some of these workouts? Well, first of all, you see them on social media. All the women are jacked, right. They're like oh, now, I've been in the military, I've done military workouts and you don't get muscles like that. You just don't get muscles like that. You just don't. So, first of all, I don't know if these women that they are showing are AI generated or what they are. I mean, I can't even tell you.
Speaker 1:So, first of all, it's appealing to your instant gratification. We're working hard, we're fast paced world. People want quick results. So quick fix workouts promise rapid transformations. We're working hard, we're fast-paced world, people want quick results. So quick fix workouts promise rapid transformations, which appeal to our desire for instant gratification. They don't work? No-transcript, okay, but you're going to feel like crap and your body will probably look like crap, okay. So think about this when you're looking at these, because they draw you in, right. They're like oh, that looks great. Have you ever thought that? Maybe it's a marketing tactic?
Speaker 1:Quick fix workouts are often marketed with compelling before and after photos, testimonials and promises I'll say that again promises of fast results, making them seem very attractive. Again, no, it's a marketing thing, and if someone has done this and got those kinds of results, please reach out to me. I'd love to talk to you because I want to know what you did and how you did it. But it's also time, efficient, right 10 minutes a day. People lead busy lives and they struggle to find time for long workout sessions, which I do not believe in, by the way. I'm just going to tell you Quick fix workouts often promise results, with short, intense workout sessions making them seem time efficient. Now let me tell you this there are time efficient workouts. I do an 11-minute fitness challenge or 11-minute workout where, if you don't have the time to work out, that's a good place to start. Notice I said start. I didn't say do it for 30 days and get a whole new body. Remember that your fitness starts on the inside and it's only when everything is working the way it should be on the inside that you start to see the results on the outside. Just keep that in mind.
Speaker 1:They claim that these workouts are simple. These workouts often involve simple exercises that can be done at home without any special equipment, making them seem easy and straightforward. Of course, you don't have to buy anything, you just do it. Maybe you've seen celebrity endorsements. I haven't seen any yet, but not saying that it's not going to happen. People say, oh, this person, this celebrity, did this. Look what she did. This celebrity took this and look how she looks. You my philosophy on celebrities people who are true celebrities. They better look good. If you're a celebrity, you better look good. You've got the time, the money, all of the things. So if you don't look good, I got questions Are you sick? What's wrong? What's going on? That's just me. Take it or leave it, but that's just me. They also appeal to beginners. Don't be afraid to be a beginner. Get out there, do it, but make sure that it's appropriate for your body.
Speaker 1:If you're new to fitness, quick fix workouts can seem less intimidating than committing to a long-term fitness plan. But is it appropriate for you? So, while these factors can make quick fix workouts seem appealing, it's important to remind yourself that true health and fitness requires a balanced, sustainable approach. Let me repeat that. Let me repeat that Health and fitness requires a balanced, sustainable approach. Okay, so let's talk about the reality of these quick fixes. So let's expose some of these drawbacks to these quick fix programs.
Speaker 1:Unrealistic expectations Lose 40 pounds in a month. Have a new body in 30 days Quick fix workout solutions promise rapid results, which can set you up for unrealistic expectations Again. Achieving a healthy and fit body requires time, consistency and patience. Lack of sustainability Sometimes these workouts may not be sustainable in the long run. They often involve intense routines that can be difficult to maintain over time, leading to burnout or injury.
Speaker 1:So, for instance, if you're doing one of these quick fix workouts and they say, do it for seven days, then in 30 days you'll have a new body. Well, if you've never worked out before, seven days is a lot. You know what I tell my clients that have never worked out? Start off with one day a week. One day a week your body's going to go through changes, going from not moving to moving for seven days. You're either going to hurt yourself or sustain an injury that's going to prevent you from working out for a long time. So risk of injury. I'm just going to put it out there.
Speaker 1:What about holistic type health? So these quick fixes are often about your body moving. And don't get me wrong, I believe in that wholeheartedly. But everybody's body is different and responds differently to exercise. I'll give you an example. I'm a Pilates instructor but I can't just do Pilates. Some women can. They can just do Pilates and their body's amazing More power to you. I don't have that kind of body. I need weight training, I need stretching, I need Pilates, I need all of it, every last bit of it. I also need some holistic type health where it's more for my body to relax. So that's where the stretching comes in. That's why, if you've ever heard of Yamada Body Rolling, look it up. It's a way to help you, help your body.
Speaker 1:So a lot of times, these quick fixes also neglect nutritional needs. Just like you feed your car the gas it needs, you need to feed your body. A lot of times, we eat right before a workout not a good idea. If you're not eating before a workout, make sure you're eating afterwards and always, always, always, have water available. So we want to promote a balanced and realistic approach to fitness. I want to encourage you to adopt healthy habits that you can maintain in the long run, rather than looking for quick fixes. So let's talk about this last one.
Speaker 1:Sometimes there's a scam behind the glam. You've seen it. I signed up for this and got nothing in return. We've all been scammed in some way, some way, some kind of form of a scam. So they're doing it for financial gain. It sucks, but they're playing on your insecurities. I can do that. Let me try this.
Speaker 1:And again, I just talked about insecurities. We all have insecurities about our bodies. We want to look better, we want to feel better. Quick fix solution yes, no, but do you see how you can get pulled in, lose lots of weight, gain muscle, look better, feel better?
Speaker 1:There's a lack of regulation, especially if they're using AI-generated bodies. I don't care how real it looks, they're like oh, she was interviewed, I was seeing someone talking to her. How do you know that's not AI-generated Lack of regulation? So the fitness industry in and of itself isn't regulated. I mean, in some form and fashion it is For a lot of people. You know, getting certified, having a degree, getting you know your insurance all of those things makes you, makes someone like me, a little more appealing, only because I've made, I've done all the steps so that you can trust me to the point where you trust me with your body. So let's also talk about anonymity. Those people don't care if they take your money. They don't care if you get hurt doing this. There's no way to recoup your money if you put into it. You can go to the police, you can do things, but once your money's gone, it's gone.
Speaker 1:I will tell you that there's a high demand for fitness solutions online, which is why I started Small Space. Pilates. Scammers take advantage of this demand by offering too good to be true fitness trends and products. Too good to be true. If it sounds too good, it's probably not a good thing. So you can do online workouts, but make sure you I won't say know the instructor, but the instructor is taking time with you. Let's have a one-on-one, let's find out what kind of things are going on in your body. And if you were to come to my class, I would make sure that whatever is happening in your body, that I would show a modification for that Ignorance.
Speaker 1:Some say ignorance is bliss not when it comes to fitness, because some people, most people, lack the knowledge about fitness and health. So it seems like, yeah, let's do this, but it could be harmful and mostly may not be effective for you. So let's talk about the truth, about getting fit. I've kind of said a little bit about it but honestly, if it's too good to be true, then don't do it. I'm going to put this out there.
Speaker 1:If you're looking at something online that you want to do and you're not sure about it, reach out to me. I won't sell you anything. I won't try to get you into SS Pilates unless you want to me. I won't sell you anything. I won't try to get you into SS Pilates. Unless you want to, let's talk about it and see if it's a good fit for you Free of charge, because I truly believe that everyone has the right to feel good in their body, but we make the wrong decisions about what we need to do. So reach out to me. We could do a 30-minute quick talk and we can just see if this is something that would be effective for you. Also, keep in mind yes, I'm going to plug Small Space Pilates. We do weight training, stretching. Pretty soon we're going to be putting classes for Yamuna Body Rolling in there.
Speaker 1:I will have a discussion with you prior to see if this is a good fit for you, and I'm talking about what you can do and what you can't do. And we're talking about today, not next week or next month, because you'll be stronger, I promise you. But I'm not going to say in 30 days. I meet you halfway and you meet me halfway, deal. Kat at SmallSpacePilatescom, reach out to me, let's have a chat. So that's a wrap for today's episode. Remember, there's no shortcut to fitness. It's all about making sustainable changes and sticking to them. Sustainable changes and sticking to them. So this is Kat Corchado, your movement specialist. Until next time, keep it moving.