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The Midlife Fitness Mentors by Tamara Grand, PhD (FitKnitChick.com)
Last weekend I did a “cleanse.” Not the type of cleanse you’re probably thinking (if you know me at all, you’ll know that detoxes and food cleanses are not exactly my thing). A social media cleanse. As a fitness professional, blogger, and freelance writer who’s fairly active on social media, I subscribe to a lot of fitness and nutrition websites. I also follow a ton of Facebook pages and Twitter and Instagram accounts. Mostly to stay on top of the latest research and trends in my field but also because I, too, seek motivation and inspiration from other fitness mentors. (Trainers need trainers too, right?). The thing is, despite the daily deluge of emails and the speed with which my Facebook news stream updates with fresh material, only a small proportion of the content delivered to me actually serves its purpose: to educate, motivate and inspire. Instead, I found myself confused by contradictory and misleading information. Should I run or lift weights if I’m trying to lose weight? Fasted cardio— yes or no? Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of exercise and nutrition advice. Everybody’s an expert (with or without credentials) and no two experts ever seem to agree… Shamed and angered by the “what’s your excuse?” memes. If my priorities differ from yours does that make them excuses? READ MORE