Some months ago, without any warning ( ie a Development Application advising local residents), a bootcamp opened near my home. Initially I learned about it by hearing excessive and loud shouting twice a day, reminiscent of my childhood growing up in army camps. Only this time, accompanied by loud music with a heavy beat.
Annoying though it is , I have become used to it, knowing that it does not last for too long and that eventually the poor creatures get to go home. The facility advertises itself with before & after pictures. the 'before' pictures often feature a young, plump woman with a baby in her arms and a happy smile . The 'after' pictures show her standing tall, slim & upright, and ready for battle.
Years ago, and far away, I worked in a job that required me to implement the changes enabled by human rights in employment legislation. The right to not be discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity, gender, or disability. It was difficult and challenging to persuade and encourage people with entrenched views about, for example, the role of women in the workforce, or employing people from an Aboriginal background in public contact roles through affirmative action programs.
Some changes have been made, though in general, this country has not advanced hugely in this area. Women, on the whole, still earn less money than men, even in professions like medicine and engineering. People whose appearance is not white european are still called by derogatory names. Sexual harassment has not been removed from the workplace, and now bullying has become the means to harass people at work for all sorts of reasons, and causes distress not only for the victims , but for others who witness such ill treatment.
What has this got to do with getting fit?
Most of us know the common sense of losing weight or getting fit is to eat less and move more. I guess many have the view that they cannot do it by themselves, and if they pay someone to help them, they will commit to the task. But why do we have to have someone shout at us? If we are feeling powerless to make the changes we need to make, being shouted at must surely reinforce the idea of lack of ability, or knowledge . And underscores possible emotions of low self esteem and low self worth. So people sign up to become victims ?
So do they learn sustainable ways of changing their fitness practices, or will they be back in three years time, after the wedding and the babies?
I hear the instructor from my back yard , four houses away, he is probably a nice and well meaning person who wants to help others 'achieve their goals', but it still sounds like bullying to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment