It’s tough getting (and keeping) in shape, so looking to others for inspiration is only natural. But who makes a good fitness role model?
According to The Arizona Republic, it’s probably not most public figures.
As supercyclist Lance Armstrong goes for his seventh Tour de France victory this month, he’ll probably inspire some people to get on a bike and pedal a few miles.
Women who watch Angelina Jolie in Mr. & Mrs. Smith may step up their workouts to achieve a lithe body like hers.
But the best fitness icon to emulate is probably the neighbor who walks every morning and has a decent cholesterol count.
According to Charles Corbin, a professor emeritus in the Department of Exercise and Wellness at Arizona State University, Americans need to stop looking at unattainable health images and find more down-to-earth, real-world role models.
“Who are the heroes of a culture that is mostly concerned about the way it looks? Movie stars and TV stars – and most of those people don’t really look the way they appear – and high-level performers, even though (regular people) have no chance of doing that,” says Corbin, a professor emeritus in the Department of Exercise and Wellness at Arizona State University East.
According to Corbin, health awareness in America has been driven by celebrities, rather than the benefits of simply living right.
“Fitness needs to be a means to lifelong health, not an end in itself”, he says.
