{"id":68,"date":"2011-04-03T08:53:32","date_gmt":"2011-04-03T08:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jobshuk.com\/yoni67\/2011\/04\/03\/a-business-diatribe-my-problem-with-the-fitness-industry-how-it-puts-us-in-mortal-danger-every-day\/"},"modified":"2011-04-03T08:53:32","modified_gmt":"2011-04-03T08:53:32","slug":"a-business-diatribe-my-problem-with-the-fitness-industry-how-it-puts-us-in-mortal-danger-every-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jobshuk.com\/yoni67\/2011\/04\/03\/a-business-diatribe-my-problem-with-the-fitness-industry-how-it-puts-us-in-mortal-danger-every-day\/","title":{"rendered":"A Business Diatribe: My Problem with the Fitness Industry (How It Puts Us In Mortal Danger Every Day!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Business Diatribe:<\/font> My Problem with the Fitness Industry <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font> <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

(How It Puts Us In Mortal Danger Every Day!)<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/p>\n

Ahhh.<\/em> The Fitness Industry. It’s a segment of the Business world which brings in tens-of-billions of dollars every year.<\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Want a part of the action?<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Become certified and train people privately. Open a gym. Become a franchisee to one of the myriad of well-known "houses of muscle": Gold’s Gym. World Gym. 24 Hour Fitness. Or grab your piece of the supplement industry: vitamins, weight-loss shakes and protein supplements: a sub-segment of the industry which itself pulls in billions each year.<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you are just starting out in the world of Business or looking for a career change, it is a financially-lucrative profession.<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

So What’s My Beef?<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

I just happened to be watching a documentary about prisons on the Discovery Channel last night. You know the type: the camera and commentator take you inside of a large correctional facility: home to murderers, rapists and those guilty of such crimes as ‘assault with a deadly weapon,’ ‘2nd degree manslaughter’ and ‘home invasion robbery.’<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

The next thing you know, <\/font>yes, it’s part of the standard script for such shows, you join the prisoners out in the courtyard or the prison-gym for some fitness fun<\/em>. And there you see said murderers, rapists, manslaughterers and home-invaders getting pumped-up! Yep, people convicted of some of the most heinous crimes that exist…and they are now 225 pounds of rock-solid muscle. But wait: they have boxing equipment too, from which they learn to punch and kick harder and faster!<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

BUSINESS ETHICS & MORALS:<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay, although I do have a real issue with "pumped-up" prisoners, it is a metaphor for this article. It has to do with morals, ethics and integrity. And it forces the questions: "Who are you doing business with?" and "At what cost do profits come?"<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Within every industry there are morals, ethics, and codes-of-conduct both written and un-written. Most tobacco shops don’t sell cigarettes to ten year-olds. Liquor stores don’t usually sell fifths of Jim Beam to 12 year-olds. Most marketers would balk at selling business plans to South American drug-cartels. I, as a writer, would not sell my services to a known criminal organization. <\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Along with profitability<\/font> come questions and issues such as…yes, health, well-being and public safety.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

My question, and the basis of this rant is this? Who the heck is selling the fitness equipment to the prisons?<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

So, prospective fitness-guru, enter the industry! Make your money. Enjoy your work. Be profitable. Become an entrepreneur.<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

But for Heaven’s sake…if you’re getting into the fitness equipment-supply end, please<\/em> don’t sell to prisons.<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Realize that one day a lot of those rapists and murderers will finish their sentences or be released on parole. And the recidivism rate is astronomically-high. Statistics show that many will again commit violent crime. If they must be released, then there is not much that can be done. But please<\/em> do not give them the means to be stronger and more athletic in their violent<\/em> ways.<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

I prefer ex-cons to be rather skinny and weak!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

. <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n