Health Over Aesthetics - Tanita guest post pt 1

This is the first guest post in a series from Simon Wilkison at Tanita

All signs are pointing towards the general public becoming more health conscious than at any other time. Many industry experts are predicting a surge in potential new clients for PT’s as people look to become more informed on improving their health and the role of body composition in health and immunity couldn’t be more directly linked.

In a society more health aware than ever following the Covid:19 pandemic, boosting their immune system will be high on many people's agenda. Awakening the public to the role body composition plays in this will be a key element to the success of your training and nutrition plans, adding great value to your packages. Many of the negative effects fat has on health are well known, in relation to this 'there is compelling evidence that both overnutrition and undernutrition negatively interfere with the immune system'
*Fat: A matter of disturbance for the immune system Alessandro Federico, Elena D’Aiuto, Francesco Borriello, Giusi Barra, Antonietta Gerarda Gravina, Marco Romano, and Raffaele De Palma.
However, less highly regarded is the role of muscle mass, a healthy muscle mass ‘plays a key role in the prevention of many common illnesses, conditions and diseases’
*The underappreciated role of muscle in health and disease, Robert R Wolfe.

The ability to monitor body composition and track the changes your interventions as a health and fitness professional have on your clients will be critical to your retention and add real value to your personal offering. As potentially more emphasis is taken on our health and less on aesthetics, what can you do to help your clients with this journey? By incorporating health assessments into your packages this supports and alleviates pressure from the NHS, especially with the prevalence of exercise being prescribed as medicine. 

Guardian Article: How exercise prescriptions could change the NHS

I fully expect we will see more and more clinicians utilising exercise and PT’s that prioritise ‘health’ and have the knowledge and equipment to support members on this journey. There has never been a better time to begin working with Tanita and demonstrate to your members you are taking their health seriously. Track changes in body fat and muscle mass, demonstrating to each and every member the progress they are making.

Simon Wilkinson – Tanita UK Sport & Fitness Lead