Everyone “fits” into fitness

Courtesy of befirstglitz

WHC’s newest addition to the team – certified personal trainer Valarie James – is bringing light, joy, motivation, and camaraderie to the act of moving our bodies. In addition to the body positivity and mental health-centered lens James brings to her outlook on exercise, her phrase and professional mantra “inspiring the everyday person to achieve their wellness goals” emphasizes why diversity of all types is necessary in the fitness and wellness space. As America’s demographic grows and changes, the “everyday” person is encompassing people of color, people of lower socioeconomic status, members of the LGBTQ+ community, gender minorities, religious minorities, and individuals with differently sized, shaped, or abled bodies. But in full disclosure, the fitness and wellness industry hasn’t always kept pace with the diverse set of individuals they claim to serve.  

The history of fitness and body image/body positivity movement are intertwined. And while the goal of the latter is to separate the two, it’s undeniable that the fitness advertising that we see and societal messaging that we as consumers and patients see have a bias for leaner, thinner bodies and their portrayal as being “healthier.” National data from a published nutrition survey comparing clothing size changes between 1988-2010 show that the average American woman dresses in size 14 or above. Historical evidence paints the same picture with the first size 16 model not gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated until 2016 (Ashley Graham). Only representing thin, lean, and individuals of a certain age in advertising “perpetuates the false idea that being ‘fit’ or healthy is synonymous with being a certain size" according to ISSA-certified personal trainer Chrissy King. There are many factors that control the ways our bodies look including fat and muscle distribution, exercise and metabolic rate, leptin and androgen levels, diets, mental health, genetics (ratio of waist-hip and waist circumference has been found to have a heritability rate of 76%) and more. Notice how exercise is just one of these components akin to the way weight is just one of the factors that determine our health. We have much data to support the fact that a thin body (in the eyes of society) is not in and of itself a representation of a healthy body. It’s time we as a collective society accepted this too.  

But body image isn’t the only way the fitness industry has historically excluded individuals. Financial and socioeconomic status play an immense role too. The marketing of the fitness industry makes it sound like “good” fitness and “true exercise” needs to be expensive and machinery heavy. As personal trainer Paul Landini says, “society is being duped into believing you need a Fitbit, compression shorts and a $200 pair of lifting shoes to get in shape.” This is especially impactful for individuals of lower socioeconomic status who may not have the time or energy to exercise in between managing household and work responsibilities, let alone the money to support an expensive “fit” lifestyle. Lower income to middle lower income individuals record being 1.6-1.9 times more likely to be physically inactive after controlling for other socioeconomic variables as of 2006. Medical providers stress the importance of regular exercise with public health guidelines recommending 1 hour of exercise a day. And yet it can be unbelievably difficult for low-income individuals to do so leaving them at greater risk for chronic illness relating to cardiovascular and metabolic health. 

The phrase “helping the everyday person achieve their wellness goals” addresses the totality of toxic fitness culture (a term coined by Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and ACE Certified Medical Exercise Specialist Illya Parker) that may influence the lack of diversity present in fitness. Beyond the main promotion of fitness being for its weight loss benefits and selection for thin bodies, “toxic fitness culture” can also include notions that individuals who are not thin are simply not working hard enough to achieve thinness, that "fit has a look”, and working out is more important than listening to what your body needs. These aspects that have become so ingrained in certain types of fitness culture can be exclusionary for anyone who doesn’t fit the “fitness” look portrayed by advertising and media including those with larger bodies, people who wear hijabs, or differently abled individuals. I would argue that this toxic fitness culture would also include perceptions and practices on nutrition. In her experience, James agrees saying “the promotion of counting calories and macronutrients have become mentally exhausting for individuals trying to have a 'healthier’' lifestyle” and noting that these practices have even been linked to causing restrictive dieting, poor body image and other eating disorders. Whether it’s from societal messaging and media encouraging women to take up less space, the historical weight bias medical professionals have long had, or more, women have long been told to watch their weight under the guise of “fitting in” and “being healthy” and this can be especially draining for anyone, but especially those whose bodies may not look what we so often see on magazine covers and for those who already have burdens of receiving low-income,working long work hours, living in food deserts, and racial minorities for whom this messaging becomes another reason to feel like an “other.” James is continually being conscious of this saying “As an LMSW and CPT, I am also learning the importance of changing my messaging on social media to be more inclusive & mindful of the information I am sharing. I want it to be more respectful of others' feelings, relatable to the diverse populations I serve, [and] promote holistic goals rather than just fitness.”

Additionally, the fitness and wellness space naturally rely heavily on positivity in the form of positive affirmations and motivational words, music and speech to cultivate an inspirational space. However, maintaining this point of view with a denial of world events can be harmful for those trying to maintain their own wellness and mental and physical health in the reality of today’s world. Certified personal trainer Chrissy King expands on this idea with her experience after the 2017 Charlottesville events unfolded saying “engaging in a wellness culture that emphasizes positivity to the exclusion of any other reality dismisses the fact that some of us face difficult things nearly every single day, and we can’t always choose to ignore them in favor of love and light.” 

Fitness and wellness emphasize the importance of an integrative, all-encompassing, lifestyle approach. One that often includes self-care, nutrition and diet, mental health considerations, and exercise/moving one’s body. But we can’t forget that the intersectional parts of our identity including our gender, race/ethnicity, religion, body size and abilities all play into this and therefore all play a role in our fitness and wellness. Until the fitness industry starts adapting its approach to acknowledge this and making fitness a place where everyone can fit,  James recognizes that the messages we tell ourselves can be powerful saying “I encourage every reader to look at themselves in the mirror and say something kind. You deserve it.”

Written by Akansha Das, Women’s Health Collective’s Pre Med Student Volunteer  

Edited by Nisha McKenzie, PA-C, CSC, NCMP, IF

With contributions from Valarie James, Certified Personal Trainer and Licensed Clinical Social Worker