Health clubs and body politics: aesthetics and the quest for physical capital

Health club use and ‘lifestyle’: exploring the boundaries between work and leisure

“…This fluidity of the work-leisure relationship is also evident when we explore the nature of the club environment in more detail. While Frew and McGillivray (2005) discuss the health club environment as a contained social space, this article suggests that the boundaries are much more fluid. In this respect, the paradoxical nature of the clubs is apparent, as on the one hand there is an emphasis on escaping the demands of the city, yet on the other hand the premier club appears to be a feature of working in the city.…”

“…Secondly, this value is reinforced through collegial interaction as there is an awareness of the importance of health and fitness amongst the professional workforce, which in turn manifests as individualised obligation and often professionals will adopt healthy principles in order to conform. While it is acknowledged that professional city-workers will be influenced by a range of external factors such as medical and media representations of health (Frew & McGillivray, 2005), within the context of this study it was the experience of the habitus, namely the city workplace, that shaped the decision to join and continue to use premier clubs (Bourdieu, 1977).…”

“…A useful illustration of Bourdiesian theory, of relevance to this article, is the work of Frew and McGillivray (2005). The authors highlight the complexity of the health club environment, as it defines the parameters of individual fitness pursuits.…”

“…As Frew and McGillivray succinctly put it 'it [the health and fitness club] operates as a space where the promotion of a particular aesthetic comes together with regimented body work to form a moral reminder of the need for self-regulation' (2005, p. 162). Frew and McGillivray (2005) therefore argue that health club use is indeed an individual activity, yet one which is shaped by the parameters of the club. The health club then can be perceived as a social space which emphasises the principles of governmentality, which does not involve the direct coercion or control over individuals and their bodies, but is dependent on individualism and free will and a person's desire to engage in their own bodily practices and modifications (Scrambler & Higgs, 1998).…”

“It’s More than Doing Sports Together, You Know. It’s Deeply Personal”: Preliminary Findings of an Ongoing Qualitative Study on the Relationships between Personal Fitness Trainers and Trainees

“…Fitness gyms vary in location, membership fees and serve different social and economic milieus. Whilst strength training on machines and exercise-to-music group work-outs remain at the heart of most gyms, more and more members decide to work with a personal trainer, often several times a week and in addition to their usual training [8] [9]. Personal fitness trainers are certified professionals who work with clients on a one-to-one basis.…”