Where is the line between a healthy lifestyle and fitness fascism
In 1936, fitness gurus and naturopath Jack Lalein, who started practicing strength training before it became fashionable (or generally acceptable), opened a prototype fitness center in an office building in Auckland - a gym, a juice bar and a health food store. Lalane died at the age of 96, and in the obituary of The New York Times remembered his words: "People thought I was a charlatan or crazy. Doctors were against me: they said that weight training leads to heart attacks and lowers sexual desire" .
After 80 years, global corporations like Nike and adidas will create running clubs around the world, hire pop-martial sports enthusiasts as ambassadors for pop stars, and organize charity races and fitness marathons. Sport from tedious exhausting fizry with a despotic trainer will turn into a no less exhausting, but cool party in designer clothes and high-tech sneakers, which have become the new “louboutins”. Instead of stalls with fast food, ecological steps, vegan eateries and points of sale of freshly squeezed juices will appear at every step, and fitness trackers will become full-fledged accessories.
An inclusive approach to sports has great advantages: the involvement of more and more people, the growth of motivation against the background of increasing activity of others, a common positive agenda in terms of perception of one’s own body and self-confidence. The fact that a well-built supply dictates demand is not bad and not good - the market functions this way. But in order to benefit from all the possibilities of the modern fitness boom, you should look at him soberly and not succumb to every “healthy” call.
In 2002, Brian Pronger's book, Body Fascism: Salvation, was published. In it, the author explores in detail the development of the modern cult of the taut body at the junction of the natural sciences, politics and philosophy. Fifteen years ago, Professor Pringer sharply raised the question of sport boom - and this is before the advent of modern fitness raves, which resemble the rehearsal of performances at the May 1st stadium in Pyongyang, and before Whole Foods health food stores in Los Angeles likened to elite gymnasium (an overwhelming most buyers stroll through the supermarket in full sports equipment).
Around this time, after a decade of cult of prohibitive leanness, the sporting figure brought to perfection, familiar to us from the 80s, began to return to fashion. This time - with a sauce from interactive, manic consumption and body-shaming, which did not know the era of aerobics. In the language now there are such things as skinny-fat - that is, thin, but not tightened body.
In the language appeared such concepts as skinny-fat - that is, thin, but not tightened body
Of course, painful preoccupation with one’s own body does not apply only to women. Men much more often abuse steroids and train in the gym beyond all measure. The image of a macho pumped up with all the ensuing consequences is such a regular Ourobor of the male world: they invented themselves, they believed it themselves. Everyone can become victims of exhausting cross-training and unprofessional organized races, regardless of gender. Nevertheless, the issue of fitness fascism is particularly acute for women, who are invariably subjected to objectification - for themselves and for the Other.
In women's fitness, the perception of sport as a war with one's own body is imposed on all levels - starting from terminology. In the book Metaphors We Live With, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson argue that language is based on conceptual metaphors that not only reflect, but also shape our perception of reality. Judging by the headlines from the gloss, articles in Internet resources and the public in social networks devoted to "women's fitness", this is true.
"I can not train through", "aim at the problem areas", "hit the fat", "say goodbye to the hated sides", "the secret weapon in the fight against sagging belly." Hate your body, attack and fight. Military training is really associated with discipline and exemplary fitness, and training often resembles drill. Anyway, it is difficult to imagine a person who really wants his body to surrender, that is, literally fell under the onslaught of slats and lunges.
With the idea of sports as a battlefield, a more positive, but no less fascist, tendency towards mass activization and consumption coexists peacefully. The fitness segment has created a lot of business opportunities - from fitness centers, running clubs and sportscars mentioned to commercial Instagram accounts. The market for sporting goods is growing rapidly - more and more people are willing to pay for a new form for training as much as for a party outfit. In the United States alone, sales of sportswear — from leggings for yoga and sport bra to vests and track suits — totaled over $ 14.5 billion, sports shoes — $ 20.99 billion, and sales of sports equipment — 29.22 billion, and the numbers are growing. from year to year.
Products for women significantly ahead of the male segment in demand and sales. The owners of the lines of sportswear, not without irony, report that it is easy to convince women to pay more than 100 dollars for a T-shirt of a little-known brand. In this, oddly enough, there are positive aspects - for example, new opportunities for the development of women's business. In the United States and Europe, women are launching more and more lines of sportswear, which quietly coexist in the market segment with products of giant corporations.
“When I started, it all looked quite big business, but in reality I received all the goods from the manufacturer from Portugal directly from the truck under the porch,” said Katie Biddalf, founder of the British brand Striders Edge, in an interview with the BBC. all the boxes up to the apartment. " According to Biddalf, who launched her lineup in 2011, women perfectly understand all the main concerns for women's sportswear: "I didn’t even sleep at the time, but I knew that there was a niche in the market that I could fill."
So, the 24-hour gym is no longer a sect, and protein shakes are not confused with steroids. True, while in Europe between 12 and 15% of the population are regular visitors to fitness clubs, in the million-plus cities of Russia, no more than 2-3% of residents regularly visit the gym. The numbers speak not only about the gap in the question of body culture, but also about the difference in incomes of the population. By the way, according to statistics, sports clubs get most of their income from people who sign up for a subscription purchased or received as a gift, then they are marked 3-4 times in class and they stop training. It is significant that, for example, in Britain in 2014, spending on gyms jumped by as much as 44%, while the increase in the indicators of regular physical activity of the population remained stable.
The fact that for some people is a completely successful business, for others it often becomes the cause of health problems - primarily because of the principle "everyone ran, and I ran." Up to half of lovers of long-distance races regularly receive knee injuries, and about the risk of injuries during innocuous yoga classes, an entire debate has arisen. Getting injured while playing sports is quite natural - any professional and amateur will confirm this. In general craze in sports as a way of socialization and endless self-improvement, it is important not to forget about the sense of proportion and the technique of doing the exercises. It is known how often lifting weights without precise adherence to the technique leads to hernias in the spine, and instagram initiatives from the category # mad rabbit can help girls for long months or even years to say goodbye to their monthly periods.
The perception of sport as a war with its own body is imposed on all levels.
Crossface slogan: "Push yourself to the limit". It is one thing to reach the limit of opportunities, and another to ignore this very limit, at which your body literally prays for mercy. One of the heroes of the series "Obvious" colorfully vomited on the floor under the loud mate of the coach during a crossfit training session, after which the boy moved on to the next round and continued as if nothing had happened. It turns out that vomiting during and after workouts is so common among crossfit fans that the phenomenon even has its own talisman - Pukie the Clown. Agree, adequate enough.
Fitness fascism is just one form of body-shaming, which, unfortunately, is not losing ground. Steroids are increasingly being abused by adolescents of both sexes, three out of four American women suffer from eating disorders, and British women under 45 have managed to try an average of 61 weight loss methods. Fit means "suitable", "appropriate". The principal importance of how to understand this: "suitable for a full life" or "appropriate to the public opinion". "If you can not put your body in order, then what can you do ?!" - administrators of the VKontakte community "40KG" motivate their subscribers (apparently, the "suitable" woman should weigh so much). Overweight is a symptom of the disease, it is necessary to return to the “ideal form” after giving birth in four weeks, as Gisele Bundchen did.
Among the media heroes in the past few years, of course, there has been a movement towards body positivity and a balanced and neutral attitude to the sport. Lady Gaga’s agenda has evolved from “I train even from a hangover” to: “I don’t get out of my way because of constant public observation.” J. Law, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lawrence in an interview with US Weekly talk about how they hate sports, but they still persist in doing it.
If you try not to get into a rush about the imposed media do's and dont's, you can take advantage of most fitness trends and find a serious emancipatory potential in sports. The first thing to do is to not set goals in the form of centimeters, kilograms, hours and calories. Blogger Gebi Fresh, based on his own experience, argues that to lean on green vegetables and spend hours in the gym does not always mean losing weight - and this is absolutely normal. Of the variety of sports loads should choose those that do not cause fatal boredom and are allowed for health reasons. At least a couple of first classes to spend with a coach and increase the load gradually.
It is also important to understand that the universal "healthy facet" is absent in principle. Cross-gender artist Cassils brings his body to all conceivable limits, using it as a field for experiments with corporeality and a means of communication - of course, relying on the experience of proven doctors and trainers. We, amateurs, for a start should focus on their own psychological and physical comfort. For example, do not dwell on a certain sport if he is bored or no longer brings the desired effect, and without shame of conscience, go on to the next one or take a break.
Let's not forget that another media statement that we are not good enough often hides advertising for a specific product. Considering all this, it is worth treating fitness as a game that allows you to recognize the capabilities of your own body, to experiment with food, clothing and exercise. Of course, if cooking green smoothie with chia seeds and the subsequent two-hour workout with iron bring pleasure, there is no reason to deny this to yourself. On the other hand, hating yourself for being indifferent to running or eating a bun eaten after dinner is a rather pointless exercise that has not made anyone happy yet.
Photo: cover photo via Shutterstock