As a parent of a 3 year old I have watched my fair share of Disney+. 

Mandalorian? Love it. 

Frozen? The best. 

Disney Princesses? Odd storylines, but I’m here for it. 

Seriously, Belle, you’ve been kidnapped and are being held captive in a castle and you make zero attempts to leave? 

But my favorite? Reliving all the childhood nostalgia. From Lion King to the original Star Wars trilogy, it’s been a blast watching all of these again with the kiddo. 

When we came across Aladdin, a Lee House favorite, I couldn’t help but start to think about the Genie and how the 3 wishes get used. When my Aladdin viewing crossed with some internet warrior debates this week, I couldn’t help but think what if I had my own fitness-Genie to help smooth some of the potholes that plague this industry and all of the fine human beings that are trying to improve themselves? 

Well, buckle up for the ride and get ready to know how my made up Genie is going to help! 

1) The word ‘dysfunctional’ is no longer used to describe people’s movements or joints.

To me, dysfunction means you’re in a hospital bed because your body can’t work. Not because you can only lift your leg so high off the ground or struggle to reach behind you to itch your back. 

Have you ever heard the phrase “One Man’s trash is another Man’s treasure”? Well, the same phrase applies like this “One Man’s painful movement is another Man’s normal”. The point I am trying to make here is that just because someone moves differently than someone else, doesn’t mean there is a ‘dysfunction’ behind it. 

If it’s painful, it might be a problem, but there’s a very real chance that just because there is a pain response, doesn’t mean you have a ‘dysfunction’. They aren’t one in the same. 

 

2) We stop trying to sell people shakes that promote weight-loss, health, or any other health claim. 

Oh dear Genie, please make this one go away forever. 

I saw this one this week in the inter-webzz and had to delete the app off my phone. 

If you want to drink a protein shake, smoothie, or something along those lines throughout the day, please by all means, go for it. I love me a good smoothie for breakfast. 

But please understand this. The smoothie/shake/ tea drink or whatever you are consuming has zero magic powers. The magic powers are just as powerful as my made up Genie...the power is in understanding the components of fat-loss, what your calorie deficit is, and how the food choices you make fit into that puzzle. 

Check out this blog post from a few weeks ago for some fat-loss principles

The only thing magical about a lot of these products is how fast they make you run to the bathroom.

3) Adults get a 60 minute mid-day recess 3-5 days per week.

If I could only have one Genie wish this would be it. 

45-60 minutes of recess a day for adults would be amazing. Time to decompress, time to get outside, time to crush a workout, or time just to break up the work day. 

Knowing there isn’t a magical Genie, sorry if you thought there was, I want to pose a challenge to you. 

If you read this third wish and said yeah, grant me that….if you read the second line and thought ‘yep, I could use that’...start with a single 30 minute recess time slot next week. 

Seriously, book it in your calendar right now. 30 minutes, just go outside and walk around. 

Then try to get a second 30 minute slot in the week after. Once you get two 30-minute slots down, make them 40 minutes, then 45 minutes. 

Build your recess block, normalize it in your schedule and in your workplace, and watch your productivity (and probably your health) start to sky rocket. 

There isn’t a finely dressed blue Genie coming out of your coffee mug today, but I think for this last point you can be your own Genie and make this wish come true!