Ahealthy person is an asset to the country. Sport is an essential part of producing a healthy human being. Nowadays, since people live in a competitive world, the duration of strenuous physical activity is minimal. For the same reason, fitness centres have sprung up in many parts of the world today, and many people are paying to build their bodies.
 M.K.A. Anoma Rathnayaka
|
People are used to going to fitness centres not only for body building but also for fitness and exercise daily as a healthy person. It has become a new trend today and become a good money-making industry. It is because of this industry’s development in the world that one-on-one formats are being developed in sports today.
For example, T20 cricket matches have been created. People do not like to stay in the same place too long. They want to have fun in a short time. One of the factors influencing the change in the format of this sport is that the sports industry is evolving today. Researchers said that this industry is now becoming a multi-billion-dollar business.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, we know people are unfit physically and mentally. So, research regarding this industry has increased, and the frequency of talking about fitness and wellness has also increased. The World Health Organization has given more attention to the sports industry in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic to keep people healthy.
In Sri Lanka, people have given proper attention to sports, taken an interest in sports competitions. They are particularly interested in going to the fitness centres. Today, it has become a good plus point in economic terms. Therefore, the productivity and quality of the fitness centres should be developed. It is important to introduce methods and criteria regarding this industry in a timely manner.
We need to know an explanation of the importance of fitness and wellness. Being healthy is a great asset for people around the world. In an interview with the Sunday Observer, M.K.A. Anoma Rathnayaka, a senior lecturer and the Head of the Department of Sport Science and Physical Education at the University of Kelaniya, and a former International Ambassador for Sri Lanka’s International Organization for Health, Sports, and Kinesiology (IOHSK), USA, explained the state of people’s physical health and well-being, as well as the upcoming industry in physical health.
Q: What is fitness and wellness?
A: Mental well-being and physical well-being are essential elements of a person’s wellness. To maintain this balance, various factors such as nutritious food, cleanliness, good morals, education, proper lifestyle, employment, exercise and leisure are fundamental. Taken together, these are just some of the goal-setting shareware that you can use.
Fitness is one of the essential elements of maintaining good health in any person. That is what fitness is all about. We can simply define fitness as the ability of a person to complete a physical task without difficulty. On the other hand, being healthy is one of the essential things for anyone to live a good life.
Wellness is the balance of the elements as well as the spectrum that help to create these conditions. Wellness is also essential to improve a person’s quality of life and create the environment they need to be happy. People must be healthy. Physical wellness, emotional wellness, intellectual wellness, spiritual wellness, social wellness, environmental wellness, occupational wellness, financial wellness, and cultural wellness are the interrelated dimensions of wellness that help to create this condition.
It includes every activity we do on a daily basis to maintain our well-being. Everyone needs physical fitness and fitness to have and maintain an active life. Exercise, not only the right lifestyle and nutritious food, but also the beliefs, optimism, and self-efficacy that we have, will help us to achieve this well-being.
Q: Why is it important to people?
A: Fitness and wellness have a direct bearing on how to better manage life, how to plan day-to-day activities, how to adjust life to more productive goals, and how to plan, organise, lead, and control a person’s life as a whole. Everyone has hopes, desires, plans, and beliefs in life. To accomplish all of this better, it is important for each of us to focus on fitness and well-being. These matters are important for us to maintain the good life that each of us hopes for.
Today, people around the world seem to be increasingly concerned about the importance of health and well-being. There is a gradual increase in awareness and interest in it. As a result, there is a tendency in every country to establish fitness centres as well as the creation of related professions.
Health and well-being are generally defined as the process by which a person pursues high levels of mental health and physical well-being. To excel, the public needs to be given the right guidance. For this purpose, it is important to introduce fitness centres that have been established in the field of fitness as an industry. Especially in Sri Lanka, the interest in this is gradually increasing.
The establishment of fitness centres, the commencement of short-term training courses for them and the willingness of the professionals to do so, can be cited as important motivating factors for the development of the field.
It will affect the nourishment of a country’s sports economy. It is necessary to identify these trends and make the proper standardisation and regulation necessary for them to become an important and mandatory component in a timely manner.
Q: What are your views on the condition of fitness centres in Sri Lanka?
A: Considering the situation in the country, special programs need to be implemented to improve the mental health of the people. It is possible to use fitness centre programs for the purpose. But what we can see is how fitness centres are framed.
There is little focus on how fitness centres contribute to the physical, mental well-being of a person. Many fitness centres have neglected this social responsibility. Therefore, the intervention of the responsible parties is required to make them aware of this and steer this industry in the right direction.
Q: What is the impact of fitness centres on people
A: Fitness centres need to look at how people can build strong muscles, keep their bodies in balance, or use them for medical-related amenities, and contribute to the creation of the human resources needed for a better society. But often, these conditions are met in the country. Due to the tendency towards this as a profession, it has become one of the most popular professions in Sri Lanka.
There is a number of occupations involved in running a gym. For example, there are different types of occupations, such as fitness roles, nutrition roles, physical therapy roles, traditional medicine and herbalism roles and corporate wellness roles. But we need to pay attention to the extent to which these conditions are active in Sri Lanka. We can often see instances where all of these roles have become tasks involving the intervention of a small group of professionals.
These institutions need to expedite regulation. This will enable us to make more effective use of the field. It is imperative to measure the quality of the courses for this. The other area that needs to be addressed is whether quality educational programs are being implemented to become professionals in this field in a short time. Attention should be paid to give proper management in this field. Then we can avoid the negative consequences of this and create interest in it in a more accurate way.
Q: Why is the role of fitness training centres important to us?
A: I see the role of fitness centres is an important sector that can be used to build a sports economy in Sri Lanka. This can be introduced as a good sector for entrepreneurship in sports. It is also possible to create professionals for this purpose by making them aware of the importance of these professions.
This industry has become a growing industry due to endless opportunities, a rewarding career, and flexibility. This field can be used to strengthen the sports economy.
There are benefits to be gained from maintaining a healthy body, living as a healthy person without harming the country, and making it a good business venture that contributes to the economy of the country in the right way with the right methods.