A fancy, national-chain gym is opening up in town, and this weekend there was a big splashy ad for it in the paper (yes, I still read the newspaper). The photo in the ad featured thin people – because as we all know, in the world of advertising, thin = fit.
Personally, I would feel more comfortable joining a gym that I knew supported, encouraged, accommodated – and employed – people of all shapes and sizes. But if you’re going to base your gym choice on advertising and websites, good luck finding one that shows any real type of body diversity. I scanned the sites of almost every local gym, and it’s pretty much the same: lean and thin bodies performing and coaching all types of physical activities.
This begs the question: Do you want to see a variety of sizes in gym advertising, or are you more inspired by seeing thin people working out, the theory being that you will also be able to achieve thinness if you become a member? What if, like me, you base health not on body size, but on metabolic numbers such as heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure, and endurance… all things you certainly can’t tell from a photograph?
Recently, there have been a number of gyms popping up that are for fat people only. While we all deserve the right to feel comfortable in the spaces where we choose to be physically active, I don’t think this is the answer. In fact, I feel this just widens the divide between fat and thin people, and that’s exact what we don’t need. We need people to focus on healthy behaviors, not BMI, waist size, or body shape.
One gym that seems to be slightly better about body diversity is Planet Fitness. Their tag line, after all, is that they are a “judgement-free zone.” Have you been or are you a member of Planet Fitness? Is it as accommodating and welcoming to all sizes as their advertising seems to indicate? What do the trainers look like? Are there any gyms around with fat-and-fit trainers?
I’d love to hear about your experiences at the gym, what led you to choose your gym, and how comfortable you feel working out there. How does advertising affect your gym choices? Me, I’ll be working out in my favorite, judgement-free, body positive gym: my basement!
