Last week our Facebook page lit up with a discussion of luxury gyms in response to an article that appeared on Vox. The article in question, “The case against luxury gyms like SoulCycle,” took issue with luxury gyms because “the rich are getting fitter while the poor are falling behind.” Exercise inequality — of access, of opportunity, of expectation — is an important social issue that we have written about before.

We’ve talked about the exercise gender gap and we have also talked about the expense of maintaining an active lifestyle: exercise equipment, gyms, studios, and so forth. There’s all sorts of privilege associated with even having the option of taking up traditional fitness activities.

The article draws attention to two trends in American fitness:

On the one hand, new cycling, spinning, yoga, barre, and CrossFit facilities are popping up in cities all over the US, and now make up about 35 percent of the US exercise market, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). The fitness industry overall generated $25.8 billion in revenue in 2015, up from $20.3 billion in 2010. Much of that growth is coming from these newer boutique facilities: membership at studios like Flywheel and SoulCycle exploded by 70 percent. There’s a big segment of the population hungry for new health and fitness options.

However, poor people get about half as much exercise as the rich. The latest fitness “trends” are available to the population segment who, arguably, need them the least. The emergence of “boutique” outlets, the article argues, further entrenches exercise inequality. These establishments make activity less accessible rather than more accessible:

“We privatize physical activity,” Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, told me, “instead of investing in good public spaces where everyone can run safely or community centers with free yoga.”

The article notes further that these types of studios tend to specialize. Yoga here. Spin there. And they fulfill a social need as well, encouraging a sense of belonging to a community or “a tribe” of like-minded folks who are equally passionate about spinning. Or yoga. Or pilates. Or aerial gymnastics (if that’s what it’s called). Etc.

The article goes on to say:

But let’s be clear: A defining characteristic of the tribe using these workout spaces is affluence. It’s people with a good deal of disposable income — and an interest in fitness — who can pay to use these facilities. According to Vogue, they’ve even been relegated to the sphere of status symbol. “It’s become very much a brand in itself, the kind of sport and exercise you do,” Candice Fragis, senior buyer at Net-a-Sporter, told the magazine. Another spinning enthusiast said, “It’s like the only acceptable lifestyle brag.”

The Facebook discussion generated an expected range of opinion on the central claim, which I take to be that these gyms perpetuate exercise inequality and are for that reason making a net negative rather than positive contribution to our society. Not all inequality is unjust, but if the inequality arises from oppressive social conditions, then we should regard it as suspect. Of course, some wondered whether simply having such options necessarily negates other more accessible options.

The fact is, as this niche market grows, public funding for community programs, public spaces where people can get out and be active (like bike paths, walking and running trails, public pools, exercise parks) in a safe environment, are becoming less of a priority.

It’s natural to wonder whether luxury studios mitigate against affordable or free options. As a Canadian, I’ve seen this type of question comes up a lot in discussions of “two-tier” health systems and “two-tier” education. Though we do have some privatized options and services, the Canadian sensibility on these things–which I’ve embraced all my life–is to make them available to all.  The thinking is that if we start making better services available to those who can afford them, the public system will decline. And that decline can have not just class-implications, but also race and disability implications.

Of course, gyms and studios have never been part of a public system in the same sense as health and education, but there is something of the same attitude lurking in the background when we question the impact of luxury gyms on more affordable options.

A couple of people in the comment thread on FB noted that it’s possible to get active without ever joining a gym. But some pointed out that they do in fact need a gym. There are all sorts of reasons it might be a good option: lack of space to workout at home, or the need for instruction and guidance, or the added motivation of going somewhere to work out are all possible reasons that joining a gym or studio might be a good option. Not everyone has the wherewithal to stick to a plan all on their own.

Others commented that time is another precious factor in living an active lifestyle. Someone whose financial situation forces them to work two jobs or longer hours in one job, to live further from their workplace and therefore to give more time to their daily commute, to live in an area where it is not as safe or where there simply are no gyms (whether they can afford them or not) within walking distance–may not have the time to incorporate activity into their lives on a regular basis. Time is a privilege.

Luxury gyms are elitist and exclusive. There is no getting around that. But so many of the activities we associate with an “active lifestyle” are available only to a privileged few. The equipment, the training opportunities, the events themselves come with a hefty price tag. It’s simply false to think that an “active lifestyle” is not more available to the affluent.

For my part, I think there are good reasons to continue supporting more accessible gyms and public spaces. One of the reasons I continue to maintain my membership at the Y is that I like that they offer subsidized memberships to people who can’t afford the regular price.  I’ve been impressed with the fitness park in Fort Lauderdale, a public park on the beach with a number of workout “stations.” It’s free (though the parking is not) and easy to find. But of course, located on prime beach front, it’s in a very high end neighborhood with pretty much no affordable housing within walking distance.

Despite my ideals and my support of the Y, I do maintain a class-pass at a hot yoga studio and I pay for one-on-one personal training as well. While I wouldn’t call either a “luxury gym,” I can’t deny that these are privileges not available to all who might benefit from them.

The real issue is, how can we make adequate opportunities more available, while still recognizing that some people’s life circumstances make finding time for physical activity low on their list of priorities because of more basic needs not being met. The social and political issues associated with the privilege of even being able to lead a “balanced” life that includes leisure figure large in this conversation.

The authors end their article with a great question: “It’s time to start asking what else we need to invest in to spread exercise opportunities more equally. As the rich get fitter, what are we doing for the rest of society?”

It’s an important conversation and we’ve just scratched the surface of it here. What do you think about luxury gyms, affordable and accessible fitness opportunities, and exercise inequality?

Cat of Cat Inspired has been working on a project about why not everyone is choosing weight loss as a New Year’s resolution. Here is Cat talking about the project.

She writes, “Though toxic weight loss & diet culture surrounds us all the time, it seems to run even more rampant in January. This year, I want to share as many voices as possible expressing why they aren’t focused on losing weight in 2017.  As the month goes on, I hope the number of these quotes will grow! They will if you contribute! You can do so here: https://form.jotform.com/63617582269163 Many thanks to the folks who have contributed! Please feel free to tag yourselves and share!”

www.catinspired.com/resolution-resistance

https://www.facebook.com/555008401273753/photos/…

It’s all Sarah’s fault. Okay, and Stephanie’s. They’ve succeeded where others have failed. They got me to put on downhill skis and go down a hill. A very small hill. But a hill. 

I’ve been saying no to downhill skiing for years. I first said no when my high school boyfriend Barry asked me to go. It seemed scary and expensive. But mostly expensive. 

Later when Jeff asked me I had views about exercise. I wanted outdoor activity that scorched calories, got my heart racing from effort rather than fear, and kept me warm. I took up cross country skiing and continued declining all offers of downhill.

But I have women friends now, my age, who downhill ski. They know me and they say I’d like it. They tell me there’s some transfer of skills from cycling.

I was intrigued when Stephanie blogged about going from cycling to skiing. 

See Conquering imaginative fear: From cyclist to skier (Guest post) – http://wp.me/p2H8o1-C9P

I loved her advice to talk to ski instructors directly about my fear. She says she tells them straight up that she’s no daredevil, she doesn’t like speed, and she’s a coward.

Me too. Me too.

My instructor for my beginner lesson was a cheerful, determined, and patient young woman named Andrea. She’s sixteen. She’s a francophone anxious to practise her English so she can go out West as teach skiing. By the way, her English is excellent. She’s also a triathlete and does sprint distance races with her mom. 

Andrea taught me to make a pizza with my skis, with bigger slices to slow down. I learned to turn too. All very exciting. But it’s my plan to take this very slowly. I’m going to focus on mastering these skills. It’s okay to be slow. I’m focusing on having a solid skill base before I try tricky things like getting on and off a ski lift. (That looks terrifying.)

I’ll tell you more later. But for now I’ll tell you that I tried it and it was fine, even sort of fun. 

Watch out world.

So it was part of my winter fitness plan to play in the snow more often. This past weekend I got to do just that. Yay! I love being outside and because I get cold so easily I need to do very active things to make that happen. It’s part of my strategy to make friends with the Canadian winter.

Sarah and I rented fat bikes from a shop near Mont Tremblant and explored the trails. Fun!

On Facebook I asked one question though, “Dear mtb’ers and fat bikers: What is it with trails right along the *edges* of rivers and steep ridges? The woods and the water are just as beautiful a few feet away from the edge.” I think they like the danger. Me, I like the beautiful scenery and moving outdoors in a way that keeps me warm.

(Side note: Turns out when we looked at the maps over coffee one morning this week that the scary “edge of ridge overlooking the river” trail was marked “black” for advanced. We felt better once we saw that all the trails we’d ridden that day were blue or black. I personally felt better about walking the bike across the skinny bridges.)

Yes, I fell a few times. Whee! Thump! I’ve got some bruises. I always do. But falling in the snow felt just fine.

Is it a good workout? Well, it’s no replacement for time on the indoor trainer. That’s true. But there is only so much of that I can take. My average heart rate was 130 something, not as good as running or cross country skiing but better than walking or sitting on the couch. Also, my cheek muscles hurt from smiling and that’s got to count for something.

Here’s some information on the trails.

I’m still on the fence about buying a fat bike. They’re expensive and I think it’s something I’ll continue to do a few times each winter. Renting is easy and there’s no need to lug a fat bike around.

See past posts:

Winter Biking: So Hot Right Now!

Fat bikes: Taking a break from the trainer to go riding in the snow!

On Sunday morning I woke up to complaints about the weather from all over the place. In the north, people lamented the wind chill and the winter driving conditions. But I’m in the south, in Florida right now, and yesterday my weather app showed that it “felt like” 5 degrees C in the morning. As some aggrieved friends in the south said, the weather came as a bit of an affront.

Now, to me, 5 degrees C is usually great running weather. I’ve been suffering a bit here in the heat and humidity, and given a choice between cold-weather running and hot-weather running, I’ll take cold. I know how to handle it: I throw on my light winter tights, a t-shirt, and a long-sleeved top or jacket, maybe a buff to cover my ears, and away I go. But I’m in Florida. And I packed for Florida. That means my gear is all about tank tops and running shorts. Nary a long sleeved running top in sight. So there was just no way I could get out there first thing in the morning.

I did get out for a walk in the morning though, throwing on a pair of jeans, layering a tank top, swimsuit cover-up (for it’s longer sleeves!), lacy cardigan, and a shawl that I always put into my luggage when traveling because I’m all too familiar with the air conditioning blues. I wore thick socks and running shoes and still I felt the cold.

People on the beach path dealt with the cold in their own way. Some were indistinguishable from the winter runners I pass on the only city-cleared path in London, Ontario — with their winter tights, gloves, toques (yes, I saw folks in toques–that’s Canadian for a winter hat for those who don’t know). I would have been content with a long sleeved shirt. I saw one woman who had her own lacy cardigan over a running tank. Clearly she was traveling to Fort Lauderdale for the weekend and didn’t want to forgo her Sunday run despite not packing appropriately for it.

I waited it out until later in the day when the temperature climbed to a comfortable 18 degrees C. Yes, the wind was still gusty. At one point I almost lost my hat. Some people still had on their tights and their jackets and sweaters. But it was nothing like what Anita was experiencing up in Collingwood. We touched base that day and she said the windchill was a biting -21C.

All of this got me reflecting about how it really is all about the gear. And the good thing about winter running is that usually, you can gear up for it. If it’s very icy, you can wear your yak traks. If it’s cold, add a layer or three. My usual mid-winter top layers include an undershirt, a wicking t-shirt, a long-sleeved technical shirt (thickness depends on temperatures), and a running jacket that’s cut longer in the back to cover my butt.) If it’s very cold and windy, the jacket with appropriate layers under it does the trick. Put on some gloves and a hat or an ear warmer. In the very brutal conditions, you can even wear a face mask (or go inside — we all have our limits).

You can’t gear up in the same way for summer running. I did my 21K training run on Thursday last week on a very hot and humid morning. It just about killed me. I stuck mostly to the beach walk and felt immense gratitude for the showers at regular intervals along the beach. I needed them. I’ve got my fingers crossed that we won’t experience the same conditions next week in Key West for the Half Marathon.

So yes, it’s all about the gear. Even a relatively balmy cold snap in Florida can defeat a Canadian used to much colder temperatures if she doesn’t have the layers she needs.

What are your winter running gear go-tos? And if you’re from somewhere warmer, like Florida, do you keep some back-up stuff on hand in case unseasonable cold hits?

I’m not a true weekend warrior though from time to time I lapse in that direction. See Weekend Warriors go Digital and A work week without exercise and weekend warrior syndrome.

But here’s good news for the weekend warrior. It turns out that exercising just on the weekends may be enough to prevent early death. According to this report on the CBC as little as 1 moderate session a week is enough to reduce all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.

From the CBC story,

“Weekend warriors” — adults who perform the recommended amount of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity in one or two sessions per week — were found to have a risk of death from all causes about 30 per cent lower than inactive adults.

Researchers in England set out to investigate the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer was associated with physical activity patterns.

“I think it’s important to reassure people that if they are a weekend warrior, if they are only exercising once or twice per week, and it’s of moderate or vigorous intensity, then that’s good enough,” study author Gary O’Donovan, of Loughborough University, England, said in an interview.

Read the rest here.