Good morning, I hope everyone isn’t too busy getting ready for the Olympics to read my blog. Of course not right? Anyway as promised here are some good recommendations for how to conduct safe and effective health and fitness research online

•   Make an appointment with a qualified fitness professional first. Never use the Internet to replace in-person attention. Before you even open your web browser, book an appointment with a qualified local trainer. Just about every personal trainer offers a complementary assessment and or consultation. Use that time to get to know him/her, their credentials and experience. Look for trainers that specializes in the area(s) you are most interested in. If you choose wisely at this step you may not need to execute any of the other recommendations.

•    Try to stick to official websites of reputable health associations . Since the Internet is not regulated, a website that appears to be credible and scientific may still present false, partial, erroneous or incomplete information.

•    Avoid sites with affiliate ads and bannersall over the page. This demonstrates that the site administrator has made a conscious decision to make money from you and therefore may not have your best interests at heart. Of course this isn’t always the case as some webmasters put a lot of effort into their sites and need to cover costs but you should be aware nonetheless.

•    It goes without saying but if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.How many times have you seen sites or ads online with unbelievable physique transforming photos with promises that you can do the same in 6 weeks….guaranteed. It’s amazing what can be done with photoshop and an unscrupulous fitness professional. While some can change their bodies to astonishing levels in a short period of time, this is the exception and not the rule. If the claims seem plausible then you need to exercise good judgement to weed out the quality sites from the ones aimed at marketing.

•   Use sites that teach you how to eat and exercise rather than tell you what to eat and train. One that demonstrates the science and application of exercise and nutrition. These are few and far between but they do exist. They understand that changing your body into a healthier one is not easy and that you will need to be supported every step of the way.

•   Avoid sites with a gang-like or cult mentality. Although some good information can be found on these sites, the members that have been so brainwashed into buying into a single system that they become very lonely, very fast. Just read some of their forums, god help anyone who would speak out against the “system”. Again it’s gang spirited hatred. Unhealthy and unproductive.  Everybody wants to feel like they belong and it is the truly lost individuals that get sucked in the most. Stand on your own, question everything and learn the basics.

Your success on any health and fitness program is determined by your ability to make informed decisions and use good judgment in your actions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but learn from them. There are so many people making a profit off your inability to do just that. This industry is on the biggest and most attractive markets for Internet businessman and they have saturated the resources with their garbage. I believe it’s time for people to see the writing on the wall and take control, with appropriate guidance and support to finally achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of.

Please share your thoughts….

Hey there, I hope you’re doing great… first off, I want to thank everyone who has been a reader of my 2009 fitness blog… without my readers,  this blog would be pointless… and the only person reading it would be my girlfriend, and maybe my mother.  I now have my mission statement straight and aim to bring you regular quality content, not just when I want to rant… as it was in the past, but rather up to date and always unconventional views on everything weight loss, muscle building and fitness.

So again, thanks if you are a return reader and welcome if you’re new …….you’ll be glad you took the time to make my blog part of your fitness solution.

Ok  now on to business. Today I want to address the issue of using the Internet as a prime tool for obtaining health and fitness information.  In a recent study by the Pew Internet Project, eight in 10 people use the Internet to look for health information, with only 75 percent verifying the credibility of the source and the date it was created. I would believe this is probably also true of most things…including fitness.

Now I’ve been quite candid in past entries about my disdain for canned workout and  diet programs and I believe the Internet has exploited this problem to levels that are unacceptable. Online, you can find a range of health and fitness directories, articles,products and services which allow anyone – from teenagers to the elderly – to find instant solutions to their weight problems.  But with so many health and fitness information sites online there is concern that  people are taking their health into their own hands. What’s worse is they may be putting it in the hands of someone with no real credentials or experience.

Other problems with online fitness programs/resources  include:

1) Online fitness sites are not regulated, meaning there is no guarantee that the information provided is accurate or complete.  There’s also no insurance that these fitness sites are even written by fitness experts and that applies to both aesthetically-challenged websites and the more official-looking ones.

2) One size fits all plans are often prone failure, and this is usually because of one simple reason: your needs are not being met. This can cause a lot  of undue stress as people will move from one program to the other in hopes that one will eventually work. It wont!

3) Articles and programs found on many of these sites are written by ghost writers of professional hired guns that know absolutely nothing about the topic they are covering. Many sites try to boost their rank with just such common SEO tactics.

4) Administrators of health and fitness sites may be more interested in marketing opportunities than your health.  Though some health and fitness websites have the honest intention of informing the public with the most up-to-date and accurate information, they may also try to recommend supplements or pharmaceuticals to drive profits, which may yield little to no benefits for people.

Only a face-to-face consultation with your qualified health and fitness proferssional can provide you with a proper  assessment and exercise prescription.  This may mean seeking one who has examined hundreds of cases, providing them with a frame of reference from which they can make sound  judgements for you. 

That is not to say that doing it all yourself and locating health information on the Internet is noxious or of no use.  Responsible and controlled research may actually lead to better health care by preparing people with a better understanding of their bodies and the ability to ask informed questions when under the care of a qualified fitness professional.

If I have only one mission in life…it is to slowly and steadily help dilute the polluted information highway and bring my reader real world knowledge and skills. My next post will offer some solutions and recommendations when scouring the Internet for the latest and greatest fitness program.

Hope you enjoyed this post… I‘d love to hear your comments …