It’s times like these that illuminate the fact that we’re really bad at living in the gray area.
We love to be on one side or the other of two extremes. We avoid the middle.
The problem is, the truth often lies in the middle.
We see this all the time in the fitness industry and now we’re seeing it with the reaction to Covid-19.
On the one hand, you’ve got the doomsday folks who are spreading fear, panicking, and making irrational decisions.
On the other hand, you’ve got the IDGAF crowd who think this is a giant overreaction and it doesn’t impact them anyway because they’re “healthy” (ignoring the fact that part of the issue is asymptomatic people spreading the virus to those who are more at risk).
Anyway, there is a middle ground. We will get through this. The world is not ending. There’s still a lot we CAN do.
Also, it IS serious. It’s not something to take lightly. And, just because you are healthy, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a responsibility to do your part.
We’re in this together.
Where is middle ground?
In the fitness industry, we see the two extremes battle it out all the time.
We’ve got diet culture that wants you to be smaller, restrict yourself, exercise more, follow their bullshit rules, and buy their supplements (and now we have to deal with the claims of their diets curing or preventing Covid-19 ).
Then, we’ve got the other extremists who tell you that you should never try to change your weight or body composition (while hypocritically telling you what you should do with your body).
Again, the answer is typically found in the middle. You can love yourself now and also want to change. Your goals are your goals. You can accomplish everything you want and more without following fad diets or extreme protocols.
This all comes back to our need for certainty. We don’t like nuance. We don’t like gray areas. Our brains love definitive answers. An individual approach to fitness and taking precaution without panic with Covid-19 can leave you feeling a lack of conclusiveness.
In both cases, we need to proceed with compassion and empathy.
In both cases, fear is often the main driver of irrational behavior. Remember that fear is contagious.
We need to be there for each other now more than ever. Having a calming voice and perspective can help a friend who needs it.
We’re in the very fortunate position of having our community and now is the time to lean on each other.
We’ll get through this together.
