5 Things a Year of Lockdown Has Made Clear About Fitness
This morning, I opened up Instagram to a story from a local instructor speaking out because they had seen another studio running large indoor group classes - without masks. The instructor was understandably pissed because their studio closed due to COVID last October, the same time as ALPS Movement, and they’re tired of the pandemic drawing on because, as they put it, “(some people) think they’re above the rules.” For context, private group gatherings in Switzerland are still limited to 10 people, Fitness classes are still not allowed indoors and people under the age of 75 are not being actively vaccinated at this point in time.
After this year, I can’t say I’m surprised to see this kind of behavior from studios. For my own mental health, I’ve largely had to ignore what others in the area have been doing because it’s simply been too depressing. There are larger Fitness industry issues these behaviors reflect and with more public conversations about societal structures, it feels like there might be a shift in how mainstream Fitness is treated as well. The pandemic has taught us all so much, so perhaps these points will resonate a bit more now than ever before.
1) The Fitness industry can never be for everyone if the wellbeing of the general public is not respected.
When COVID-19 hit, we saw that it was disproportionally killing North American Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Black and Brown people for unknown reasons. Additionally, the financial impacts of the pandemic were putting the livelihoods of people with service jobs at greater risk than people with office jobs, who have often benefitted from more racial, financial and social privilege.
If the Fitness industry wanted to ensure that we were contributing to a healthier general public, then we wouldn’t have seen so many brands trying to bend the rules. By choosing to run in-person classes when governments forbade it or bend the rules to their liking, brands were (and are) effectively communicating that their desire to keep operating as normal was more important than the public health of people who did not attend their classes.
I could write so much more on this issue. In the Before Times, Fitness made it most obvious that it was not for everyone in how it continued to endorse fat phobia as a cultural norm, despite the well researched social, financial and health care implications this has on larger and fatter bodies. There are so many racial elements to fat phobia, as well as the general White image of Fitness, but because this is such a massive topic, I’m going to leave it here for now.
2) Fitness brands that actively reject epidemiologists and scientists are not health brands.
Having ‘good vibes’ alone is not an effective strategy for achieving or maintaining good health. Physiology and the science behind it, matters.
I get how fun and motivating it is to go to a class. As someone who’s done the boutique Fitness teacher thing, I have a huge amount of respect for how much work goes into creating that environment. There’s so much to think about - music, lighting, tone of voice - and on top of that, what you’re teaching. But if we’re in the middle of a pandemic and scientists who have spent their careers dedicated to understanding disease are telling us a certain behavior is unhealthy and unsafe, we can’t pretend that someone who knows how to prep a banger playlist and get your glutes to burn is somehow a more qualified health professional.
Now this might blow your mind, but Fitness brands are largely event brands. The event is interactive and movement related, packaged as about your health, but the business focus is on making sure that event runs smoothly. Still not sure? Actively rejecting the research of scientists specialized in public health proves these brands do not prioritize health over their other values, i.e. having a good time. What would you expect from a live events company? Their mission is to deliver a sweaty, fun, party of sorts. That doesn’t always mean it is the healthiest time. That’s ok - we just have to know what role these classes actually have in our life.
3) While we can be compassionate for our desire for things to be different, a good trainer will tell you the truth if it means keeping you safe & healthy.
Any good coach or trainer knows there are multiple factors that impact your workouts and movement: muscle recovery, altitude, sleep - you’ve heard them all before. Mentality and ego are often the biggest challenges, and great trainers spend huge amounts of time working on it because when you’ve got the right mindset and routine to back it, you’re setting yourself up for sustainability in your discipline. Example? Serena Williams needed to take time off in 2006 because of her knee injury. She might have wanted to keep playing, but if she hadn’t rehabbed and just tried to push through, her knee wouldn’t have sustained another fifteen years of amazing tennis. She and her coach knew taking the bench was the safest and best call.
When you take on the role of trainer, you’re accepting a high level of responsibility for your clients’ physical wellbeing. Yes, clients still need to take care of themselves, but the agreement is that we provide knowledge of the human body and guidance to help you have better health and movement. If I have a client do an exercise that I know is unsafe for their body, I have failed on the most fundamental level. Even if a client wants to do something, my job is to keep them safe, not ignore destructive behavior. There is a difference between being a hyped trainer and being a hype man/woman/person for any behavior the client wants to do.
4) It’s a bad look when you claim to support ‘Community’, but are actively hurting healthcare workers, essential workers and small business owners.
I’ve seen so many brands claim that they’re there for their community, but apparently their community doesn’t include healthcare workers, essential workers and small business owners who are desperate for people to be patient while this things ends. Instead, they decide to ignore what the those who are most impacted the crisis are saying. This is where intersectional feminism comes into play and we can talk about a lot more than just the pandemic.
5) Pilates teachers and studios are unsure if we should continue to be categorized as Fitness or if we should shift to be legally recognized as an alternative therapy.
I’ve seen quite a few Pilates studios globally struggle with being classified as Fitness businesses. While I know this is linked to not wanting to close, I also believe it’s rooted in a much more fundamental question of what Pilates is. The pandemic made a preexisting question feel much more pressing.
I’m curious if this method will still be formally classified as Fitness in a few years or if it will shift to being recognized as an alternative health therapy, more aligned with osteopathy or acupuncture. These practitioners were allowed to stay open in many countries with strict hygiene measures. I for one would be for a change of classification, not because I think Pilates teachers shouldn’t have had to close during the pandemic,* but rather because I believe it would clarify many of the differences between Pilates and other movement modalities in the Fitness space.
Pilates is technical. While there are studios out there that operate with the boutique fitness business model, I would guess the majority of Pilates businesses are focused on personal training - building relationships with physical therapists for post-rehab or parallel training, OBGYNs for pre- and postnatal care and elderly homes for safe movement in old age. This is a categorically different approach than the boutique Fitness studio that partnering with lululemon or the latest juice bar. As I always say, no shade in doing that. It’s a different business with a different goal. Again, health vs. events.
If you’re curious about my thoughts on the economics and logistics of the pandemic for other small movement businesses, be sure to check out my interview with Buzzfeed News from last spring.
And that’s it for now. I hope this list has given you something to think about, especially in how you navigate the Fitness and health spaces going forward. Thanks for reading.
*ALPS Movement closed a few weeks before it was legally required. I wanted to act in solidarity with all workers who physically cannot perform their job online, including medical workers, as well as massage therapists, cooks, etc.