Fitness coaches should be part of the healthcare system
Context
We sometimes think of heath as something that happens only in the doctors appointment or in the hospital. So when I’m concerned about my health, I’ll go to the doctor.
But ifi t’s about keeping the population healthy. We put all our money and investment on remedies (hospitals, medicine) and not enough on prevention and healthy lifestyles
But arguably that’s a bigger part of healthcare than the medicine and the hospitalization. In a sense you wouldn’t be needing that latter bit as much if you had a stronger system of healthcare in place
Can you imagine getting a gym membership from your health insurance? Or living and working in a place where they provide dental, ER, but also gym allocation? Some kind of system where you’re properly incentivized to work on your health in a simple sustainable and effective way.
That’s what we’re talking about here. Can we cooperate with everyone involved in order to make us as healthy as we can possibly be.
Example
There are some countries in the world that already do this.
I think Singapore incentivizes it’s citizens for working out. Do they use fitbit data? Kinda hackable isn’t it? It’s just a way to think about health and the costs of health
I think Austrialia also does this as well. If you do a health consultation, they’ll give you a doctor. But they’ll also prescribe a fitness coach.
Someone who specializes in helping people reach their goals in a healthy manner.
What is it
The system I imagine in this. You go to the see the doctor because you’re feeling pain in your lower back and when the doctor checks you up. They see that you’re spine is slightly out of alignment
They can give you some medicine to help you with the pain now. But they don’t want to recommend surgery because it’s not absolutely necessary.
So they say, you should consider doing the following exercises:
- some stretching
- some weights
- etc
And then they set you off.
Now what? You’re kinda stuck.
If they have a partnered facility. Then you can do some physical therapy there. And that will help give you some ideas
But at some point you get stuck Because the system dropped out So a fitness coach
(apart from being a motivator) Will help you set up a system So that you can continue to do things even when the circumstances change na.
James Clear Quote We fall to the level of our systems
Why is this important
Because we’re starting to understand more the importance of systemic health Not one time interventions
The Place of medicine and breathing (Quote) There’s the one time big time surgery etc etc But there’s also the small simple things that make big impacts and changes