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On a recent cross-country trip, I listened to one of Barnes & Noble’s Portable Professor CD series titled, “Sailing to the Edge of the World - Journeys of the Great Explorers.” It’s a fascinating (although somewhat dry) lecture series about the early explorers, their challenges, their motivations, and their contributions.

The rewards for finding a new sea route or for discovering a new land were huge and included land, title, and of course, money. Unfortunately, this lead to some early explorers exaggerating their “discoveries” in an effort to cash in quickly. In fact, the famous explorer James Cook would write that many so-called explorers would, “lay down the line of a coast they have never seen and put down soundings where they have never sounded.” This unreliable information actually hindered the efforts of later explorers as they tried to follow the same routes only to find that there was no similarity whatsoever between the published accounts of an area and what they actually encountered.

What does exploration in the “Age of Columbus” have to do with modern-day fitness “experts?” Quite a bit, as it turns out. To find out how, read on.

In the 1500’s, many European governments offered huge rewards for the discovery of new routes to India and the Far East. This ushered in an age of discovery in which many set sail to make their reputation and fortune filling in the blank parts of the map as they went. The rewards of a new discovery were so great that many sought to short-cut the process with exaggerated, or sometimes completely fictional, descriptions of their “discoveries.”

Similarly, the health and fitness market has ballooned into a $500 Billion a year market creating a huge demand for fitness products and services. As a result, many fitness “experts” have jumped in to stake their claim of this rapidly expanding market. However, like some of the early explorers, many of these “experts” are nothing of the sort and only offer exaggerated claims, unsubstantiated results, and short-cut methods.

The Consequences Mis-information

For those trying to find their way to India through uncharted waters, or for those trying to improve their health and fitness, the consequences of bad or incomplete information include the following:

1. They create confusion. The reports of the early explorers were taken at face value so they all carried the same weight. That meant that incorrect or false information was given the same credence as valid information. This created a lot of confusion, not to mention danger, in those that tried to follow the same routes. It’s the same with fitness information - the “quack” is given the same attention as the “expert. ” In fact, the “quack” usually has a better and more convincing-looking website!

2. They exaggerate their claims. Because of the huge potential financial rewards, people started short-cutting methods and exaggerating their results in order to increase their rewards. As a result, their results (their “discoveries”) could not be repeated or verified by those that followed the same routes. Similarly, it’s almost impossible to get the results promised by many of the “over-night” fitness programs or “quick weight loss” diet programs that are currently being offered.

3. They are always found out in the end. These “less-than-honest-explorers” were almost always exposed by later explorers who revealed and documented the real truth. History remembers their names, not those who tried to “game” the system for short-term rewards. Likewise, the fitness experts that get repeatable and consistent results are the ones that will survive the test of time and scrutiny.

How to Identify a Real Expert

So how can you tell whether or not a particular health and fitness “expert” is the real thing? How can you tell whether or not they have actually sailed these waters before? Here are some tips:

1. They walk the talk. One quick way to identify a real expert is to see if they practice what they preach. Does your fitness instructor have to duck out for a cigarette before class? Is there a Big Mac wrapper in the trash can of your nutritionist? Is your dietitian significantly overweight? Real experts walk the talk.

2. They tell the truth and don’t exaggerate. Another check is to see whether their claims are believable. Good health and fitness is hard work and is acquired a little at a time. Be wary if they offer exaggerated claims of “overnight” success or quick weight loss. Real experts don’t exaggerate and will tell you the truth about what it takes to get fit.

3. They have verifiable proof. Are their results documented, or do you just have to take their word for it? The fake explorers brought back nothing but fantastic claims and stories. The real explorers brought back hard data: maps, charts, bearings, and depth soundings. Real fitness experts have proof that can be checked out and verified of the results they can provide.

4. Their results are repeatable Check to see whether their results are repeatable. If you follow the same course, will you get the same results or do they hide behind the phrase “your results may vary?” Real experts know what it takes to get fit, and they know how to adapt it to your particular circumstances. Their results are repeatable.

What Type of Expert are You Following?

As you continue your journey towards good health and fitness, what type of “expert” are you following? Do they “walk the talk” or are they a “do as I say, not as I do” type? Look closely and make sure the expert you are following is a real one.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

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