Take for example the "Boot Camp" my mother attends. Now I come from a small town, around 400 people. My cousin Jenna, a certified instructor started a boot camp, and it is a good thing for the town, with no gym women are forced to buy their own equipment and work out alone. Lots of women in the community, young and old now gather twice a week, in the school gymnasium.... many wearing things they simply shouldn't. After hearing my mom rave about it on the phone for three months, when I came home at christmas I decided to go there. Jenna walked in, put on the music, and we got to work. For the next hour I hopped, skipped and danced around, and was thoroughly impressed with what was going on around me.... whatever reasons these women joined the boot camp for, (to lose weight, needed company, were unhappy with their lives or simply wanted to be healthier) it honestly didnt matter anymore..... they came for the fun of it. There was laughter, sweat, cheering and chatter. I realized this was a place for the ladies of my traditional community to gather and feel good about themselves. For that time they didn't care about their kids, or their weight, or what they were going to make for dinner, or who was going to drive the kids to the rink this weekend. They were liberated, doing something challenging with each other, bonding over the beat of the black eyed peas. Not only that, as I spent more time at home I realized the Boot Camp has brought the women of my town closer together, stregthened the bonds of a community that always had its cliques. So I guess I have to disagree with Valdes' last paragraph. Because of that day I believe empowerment can be reached in the modern fitness industry. I believe Valdes' underestimates the power and pleasure of escaping the serious business of our lives.
And so my blog may have had little to do with the true message of todays readings, but its my blog......... so ha!
Like Brittany, reading Valdes' article made me think about why most women exercise. I haven't really ever considered not exercising -- I mean, I play hockey here at Colgate and I wouldn't survive if I wasn't constantly training. Exercise is a necessity in my life because I'm an athlete, but I can say without reservation, if I weren't, I would still continue to exercise because to me, it is fun and I get the sense of empowerment that Valdes talks about.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can understand the "double edged sword" idea -- some women become so overly obsessed with body image and over-exercise. Like with anything in life, moderation is key -- the same goes for exercise and fitness. It's nice to look fit and nice in your clothes, but there comes a point when it can turn into an obsession. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, people might not exercise at all and not even think twice. I think the point in all of this is to find a happy medium between consciousness of healthy lifestyles, and not letting the desire to have a "hot bod" consume you.
I think Valdes is wrong when she says that the gym is just another way that we distract ourselves from the real world. The gym, if used properly and moderately, is a source of fun, friendship and hard work. It's a place people can leave feeling satisfied with the 15, 30, 60 minutes of hard work and sweat they just put in -- something that no one can take away from them.
I'm skipping today's blog.
ReplyDeleteBrittany and Lisa, I think you both bring up a really crucial point that Valdes misses (or is unable to see/embrace in her current circumstances). Exercise, especially group exercise can be a space for women to move past cultural baggage and engage with one another in a really positive way. Perhaps the most useful thing in Valdes' article isn't her thoughts on whether exercise is a good thing or a bad thing, but the ways in which women are often trapped within double-binds: she know that in her case, the women she's teaching AREN'T experiencing exercise this way, but she needs the money that she's making from it, so feels like she has to participate in this culture.
ReplyDeleteI think Brittany's blog post brings up a very important point. When Lauren and I were studying for our exam and reviewing who each of the authors were and what their main points were - when we came to Valdes, all we had to say was "Gosh, she has to come to terms with being a fitness instructor." While I know we discussed in class how fitness back when she was writing was not as much geared towards health as it is today on body image, I think Brittany's example about "Boot Camp" shows that regardless the reason why women or their - or the reason why the instructor started the camp for that matter - there is actually something more important and powerful occurring. I also really liked Brittany's post because I too went to Boot Camp with my mother and sister about a year ago and I loved it - and never would have thought that this enjoyment could perhaps be, or have been viewed, as anti-feminist.
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