What's Your Workout Plan?

What do you do to keep fit? Do you enjoy jogging, hitting the gym, starting your day with yoga or push-ups, or going for walks or runs? Maybe you prefer sports or other physical activities?

How does exercise benefit you, and are you looking to refine or change your fitness routine?

According to Talya Minsberg in “Are Americans Doing Fitness Wrong?,” many Americans are not engaging in enough physical activity.

For most people in the United States, fitness comes with a mindset of driving to the gym. Movement is often treated as a checklist item, separate from daily life rhythms.

This outlook is notably American, according to Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a historian at the New School and the author of Fit Nation.

“There’s a fascinating contradiction where the U.S. is a hub for the commercial fitness industry, yet by most standards, Americans are remarkably unfit,” Petrzela said.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows only about 25% of American adults meet recommended exercise guidelines, and physical inactivity contributes to 1 in 10 premature deaths.

Dr. Mehlman Petrzela believes part of the issue stems from the pay-to-play framework at the heart of American fitness culture.

With countless gyms, classes, and products, staying fit often comes down to how much someone is willing to spend.

However, other cultures approach fitness differently. Around the world, movement is often incorporated into everyday life—whether to commute, connect with nature, or foster community bonds.

Ms. Minsberg shares lessons from four countries—Finland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Brazil—that Americans may find helpful. Here are some insights from fitness experts in those cultures:

Finland: Walk Everywhere, Even in Winter

Living in Finland, where daylight lasts just six hours in winter, people learn to adapt to extremes.

The Finnish follow a philosophy of “no bad weather, only bad clothing,” explains Mika Venojärvi, a professor of exercise medicine at the University of Eastern Finland.

Outdoor activities are popular year-round, even in freezing weather.

Japan: Take Advantage of Short Exercise Bursts

Daily in Japan, millions participate in a brief exercise routine known as "radio-taiso."

It’s broadcast on YouTube and national radio, with participants in parks, offices, and schoolyards engaging in a three-minute calisthenics session.

Requiring no equipment, the routine includes moves like arm circles, forward bends, and star jumps, similar to jumping jacks.

The United Kingdom: Exercise Is a Community Experience

Two decades ago, Paul Sinton-Hewitt invited friends for a casual 5K run, dubbed the Bushy Park Time Trial.

Participants enjoyed it so much that it evolved into parkrun, now hosting over 2,500 free weekly running events in public spaces across 23 countries, including Ireland, Malaysia, and Namibia.

Brazil: Make Fitness Feel Like a Celebration

Brazilian beaches teem with activity—from beach volleyball and soccer to skating and sprinting. Beach-goers walk boardwalks, dance, or exercise together.

“If you visit Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana at 5:30 p.m., the sheer volume of activity makes it hard to walk in a straight line,” says Luiz Guilherme Grossi Porto, a professor of physical education and public health at the University of Brasília.

Reflection and Discussion

Is regular physical activity part of your routine? Do you play sports, walk your dog, bike, lift weights, or dance? Do you love these activities, or do they feel like a chore?

How significant is exercise to you? What benefits do you enjoy—whether physical, mental, or emotional?

Minsberg begins her article by describing fitness for Americans as "an item on a to-do list," detached from daily life. Does this idea resonate with you?

If you could learn one thing from another culture’s approach to exercise—whether Japan’s short workouts or Brazil’s lively, party-like fitness—what would it be and why?

With only 25% of Americans meeting exercise recommendations, do you think public group activities, like Japan’s radio-taiso, could help?

What advice would you give teens or adults who struggle to make exercise fun or meaningful? How can they create a fitness routine that feels natural and enjoyable?

These are important questions to consider as we think about reshaping how we view fitness in our own lives.

Source: nytimes

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.