Leisure and the Obligation of Self‐Work: An Examination of the Fitness Field

Abstract

Abstract:This article examines the cultural field of fitness as a network of producers, consumers, products and practices that has developed around the care of the body through physical exercise. Drawing on a thematic text analysis of US exercise manuals, the paper focuses on how the commercial fitness field naturalizes associations between physical exercise and leisure, and between leisure and selfwork. In particular, the analysis examines three themes and their relevance to our broader understanding of leisure in contemporary consumer society: the management of leisure time; the use of leisure for self-investment strategies; and the promotion of consumption as the framework for leisure and an accompanying notion of pleasure. The fitness field casts light on how leisure more generally is constructed as a sphere of obligations to make productive use of one"s time, to improve one"s body and self, and to do so through the wares of the consumer marketplace. The cultural imaginary of leisure as a time of freedom from work and responsibility is thus recast, in an age of individualization, as a time of freedom to accomplish the work of self-production.

Conflict between Women's Physically Active and Passive Leisure Pursuits: The Role of Self‐Determination and Influences on Well‐Being

“…A similar sense of obligation was echoed in a study by Nash (2011) that summarized the perceptions of Australian women interviewed during pregnancy concluding that to fulfill the 'good' mother role, at no time during a women's life is a she given the freedom to be inactive but is expected to sustain a level of physical activity to maintain a feminine body even during pregnancy. Even the fitness industry has been accused of turning physical activity for women into another form of work on the self and an obligation to make productive use of one's time (Maguire, 2008).…”

“…Gahagan, Loppie, Rehman, Maclellan and Side (2007) in their Canadian study of the impact of leisure on women's health highlighted that a lack of resources -a known precursor to conflict -to fulfill caregiving responsibilities made leisure feel like it was an additional burden or task that the women were required to complete that simply added stress to their day. Maguire (2008) in her examination of the fitness industry found that that commercialization of fitness has transformed physical activity into another obligation that women are expected to fulfill. For middle class, physically active, working mothers it can by hypothesized that efforts to fit different forms of leisure into their already full lives may act like a burden and result in lower well-being.…”

“…Women in particular may be at increased risk of goal conflict and the subsequent decrease in well-being that can result. Women can feel pressure to fulfill the 'superwoman' role balancing the multiple life roles of the successful career woman, and good mother and partner in addition to engaging in healthy lifestyle habits (Vancour, 2009) including maintaining physical activity levels (Maguire, 2008).…”

Krop og civilisering: Om unge danske pigers forhold til den nøgne krop i forbindelse med omklædning

“…I forlaengelse heraf tillaegger 84,7% af de danske unge udseendet "nogen", "stor" eller "meget stor" betydning (Nielsen et al, 2011b) samtidig med, at de føler et ansvar for selv at udforme deres krop. Kroppen kan således føles som et projekt, der konstant kraever arbejde for at praesentere sig selv og sit udseende bedst muligt (Damkjaer, 1997;Smith Maguire, 2008). Undersøgelser har vist, at piger i puberteten begynder at betragte deres krop som et objekt, og at yngre kvinder i højere grad objektiviserer deres krop end aeldre kvinder (Knauss et al, 2008).…”

“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

“…The increase of gyms and certified training professionals over the past decades has led to growing competition on the market and as a consequence to a decrease of personal training fees. Hence it became affordable to many and could be purchased especially by those who aspired to the way of life associated with glamour and affluence [10]. Hence, it is argued that going to the gym and hiring a personal trainer are not only indicators of economic capital but also of "cultural capital" [11], that is, certain behaviours and skills that allude to one's cultural competences [12] [13] [14].…”