GYM PICS? GET REAL

FITNESS ADVERTISING IS BODY SHAMING RATHER THAN INSPIRING WOMEN

As a professional in the fitness industry exposed to the images of activewear, gyms, and studios daily, I’ve observed that most images are of malnourished, white, airbrushed women. Most women don’t identify with these images and it does a huge injustice to women to be exposed to this idea of “fitness” or “fitspo” as dictated by marketers and brand managers.

New research from VicHealth indicates there’s still a damaging relationship between fitness advertising and messaging (from fitness wear brands and also from gyms and studios, primarily on Instagram) and how women aged 18-34 feel about their bodies.

The research found women in this age group were more likely to feel bad about themselves after seeing #FITSPO images than older women.

Almost 80 per cent of women want to see more women with a range of body shapes included in physical activity advertising.

Rosie Pham, 32, is from Prahran in Melbourne. She joined a circus trapeze class in her mid-20s and has stuck with it since.

It’s a refreshing world away from the mainstream ideas of fitness, though Pham isn’t immune.

“I saw a billboard with a blonde woman asking, ‘are you beach ready?’ which I hate, because it makes women feel bad for not spending their winter trying to be perfectly toned for summer,” she says.

Pham is also painfully aware that fitness marketing largely ignores Asian women.

“I’m the only Asian female in my trapeze class,” she says.

“I’m aware that I’m physically different but nobody makes a point of it.”

Melanie Fineberg, Head of This Girl Can Victoria, says, “Women told us they want to see more age, cultural diversity and disability diversity in advertising. Our research shows two-thirds of women are not motivated to get active by images of #FITSPO influencers.”

Importantly, three-quarters of women are motivated to get active by images of women with different body shapes and of different ethnicities and cultures getting active.

Why isn’t fitness advertising listening to women?

I quit my own job working for a “women’s gym” recently, tired of the advertisements plastered throughout the gym and reception of thin, white women with perfect makeup and a single bead of sweat trickling down their exposed cleavage.

If a major brand such as Nike can embrace diversity in its advertising, why on earth can’t smaller brands, gyms and fitness media?

The “Dream Crazier” ad, voiced by Serena Williams, reminded us women run marathons, box, coach NBA, compete in hijabs, “win 23 grand slams, have a baby, then come back for more”.

Fineberg says, “Less than half of women get the physical activity they need to be healthy and happy. We also know that women worry more than men about being judged while getting active and feel embarrassed exercising in public.

“We want sport and physical activity providers like gyms and sports clubs to ditch highly photoshopped images of taut and toned models and show realistic photos of what women actually look like when they’re active – sweat, red faces, jiggles and all.”

Sabrin Nyawela, 20, a basketball player from Werribee, arrived in Australia as a refugee from South Sudan.

She echoes what Fineberg and Pham have said: “You can’t be what you can’t see. If brands and advertisers want more engagement from women of colour, women with disabilities, women who wear a hijab, then we can’t keep being left out of the conversation and we deserve to be heard, in a non-tokenistic way.”

Hallelujah.

I want to look at ads and images that do more than claim to celebrate fit, strong women and actually show fit, strong women like me, Rosie, and my Ballet Sculpt students who are aged 16 through to 80 and all plié and plank like professionals.

Showing one model who isn’t a size 6 in your Instagram feed doesn’t cut it on diversity. Be real.

If Nike can make ads that celebrate diversity, then fitness brands and businesses have no excuse for whitewashing and bodyshaming more than half the population.

WHY ISN’T FITNESS ADVERTISING LISTENING TO WOMEN?