After more than a decade owning a health club, Dave Young came to believe the modern fitness industry often misses the point of living well.
Young, JPR's operations manager and author of "A Mild Case of Dead," argues that an intense focus on weight loss, body image and performance metrics can distract people from deeper questions about purpose and meaning. He says fitness culture often prioritizes appearance and numbers over lived experience.
The gym conundrum
Young said traditional gyms can feel artificial and overly regimented, reducing health to measurements such as heart rate, calories burned or pounds lifted. He describes these as “phantom” versions of health — clinical metrics that fail to reflect how people actually feel. True fitness, he said, shows up in how people live the other 23 hours of the day, not just during workouts.
To help people make healthier choices, Young outlines a three-level framework. The first focuses on body wisdom, or paying attention to physical cues such as hunger, energy and cravings. The second looks to human history, emphasizing movement, survival and eating local, seasonal food. Science comes last, which Young said can inform decisions but should not override individual experience.
For Young, the goal of health is not perfect numbers or medical charts. It is vitality — having a body that supports what matters most, whether that is caregiving, staying active with family or starting the day with energy and enthusiasm.
My Better Half is hosted by Vanessa Finney.
Guest
- Dave Young
