If you’re an employee of a large company/corporation here in Canada, then there is a fairly good chance that you have extended health benefits offered through your workplace’s insurance provider. These benefits usually offer 80-100% coverage of services such as dental, medical, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and physiotherapy.

As someone who works in the fitness industry, I’m all for people receiving extended coverage on health care services if and when needed. There is nothing worse than being sick and/or in constant pain while being unable to afford the necessary treatment required in order to feel better.

With that being said, I’ve always wondered and challenged the fact that Personal/Small Group Training in gyms is NOT covered by these very same benefit programs. I understand as a Business Owner whose income relies primarily on the sales of his and other trainers’ coaching services, that my opinion might come off as biased to many. However, there are just too many facts that cannot be ignored when it comes to the numerous benefits that regular exercise can have not just to an individual’s physical and mental health, but also to a productivity level in his or her working environment.

Why We Should Be Working Out More

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified physical inactivity as a “Global Public Health Problem.” It affects the quality of life of not only individuals and their families but also results in a national loss of income and rapidly increasing costs for employers. Let’s be honest, the success of any company depends very heavily on the productivity and work performance of its Human Resources. The ability to function and perform at a high level consistently becomes increasingly more challenging when those very same Human Resources are constantly taking sick days, personal days or working at a 50-60% efficiency rate due to having to cope with physical ailments.

In other words, people who don’t exercise regularly, are more likely to catch colds/the common flu due to having weaker immune systems. And in my own experience from working with the general population for over twenty years now in gyms, people who don’t weight train regularly(3-4 times each week) are typically more prone to injuries/chronic back/joint pain, due to severe lack of lean muscle mass. Strength training, after all, improves the strength of the muscles, tendons and even the ligaments and bones. Stronger muscles and tendons help hold the body in proper alignment and protect the bones and joints when moving or under impact.

Would More People Exercise If It Were Free?

To be completely honest, I don’t know if more people would go to the gym and exercise if their gym memberships were being paid for. I do however think that more people would invest a large portion of the funds they have available to them from their healthcare benefits packages towards working with experienced and knowledgeable Personal Trainers and/or joining a few Small Group Fitness Classes.

It’s important to remember that the majority of the population still DO NOT exercise regularly. And sure, for many of these people the reasons they don’t exercise has nothing to do with their financial situations. Some people just aren’t motivated enough to exercise. Others find the gym to be an intimidating place. And then there are those people out there that consider going for a casual walk 2-3 times a week to be sufficient – Spoiler Alert – It’s NOT!

Working with a knowledgeable and experienced fitness professional on the other hand can make a world of difference to someone who wants to improve the quality of his or her life through diet and exercise. And in my opinion, this service should be made available to anyone who wants it. Not to be disrespectful towards any other health care professionals, however, I see no reason as to why massage therapy, chiropractic care or physiotherapy should take precedence over personal training when it comes to extended health care coverage. If a person wants to improve their overall health, fitness and quality of life, they should be able to do so. If a person wants to help reduce their risk of developing chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, depression, anxiety and dementia, they should be able to do so. And if a person wants to feel more energized throughout the day and become more productive at their job, they should be able to do so. And if a person wants do all of this most efficiently and effectively, by working with a licensed and certified professional, they should be able to do so without having to rely solely on their funds if they are unable to do so.

“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
Hippocrates

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance