Fitness Craze Now Safe and Sane : Women’s Goal Is to Look--and Be--Healthy, Not Skinny
The fitness craze is undeniably well established, and, according to experts in the field, it is slowly, but steadily, changing our attitudes toward body image and personal physical goals.
“There is no phenomenon like physical fitness,” said Jim Wallace of LivingWell, a national health-club chain. “It has filtered down from a pastime of the wealthy to where the general population is well in tune with being physically fit.”
One reason may be that fitness standards have swung full circle from fanatical to safe, sane and sensible. For example, the unhealthy obsession with thinness is on its way out.
“The slim, anorexic models of 20 years ago are no longer,” said Julie Campbell, fashion editor for Sports Illustrated. “The trend is toward healthier, and that has to do with physical fitness.”
Campbell, who is in charge of the magazine’s annual swimsuit issue, has been a pioneer in pushing the “California look.”
“Twenty-five years ago, we favored a type that was taller, athletic, heavier than the normal model, but not fat,” she said.
This year’s cover girl, Australian Elle Macpherson, continues the Sports Illustrated tradition. “Elle Macpherson is a perfect example (of what’s popular),” said David J. Higdon, Fitness Editor for American Health magazine. “She is 6 feet tall, very big, very curvy. A lot of people are going for it.”
Fitness enthusiasts are charting new territory. Because of their persistence and exposure, we are becoming more accepting of a variety of body types and their individual health needs. “Strength is now sexy,” said Higdon. “We are seeing women working on their arms. They don’t want twigs anymore.”
American Health is sponsoring a Gallup survey on body image to determine the extent of the trend. “We believe our idea of what looks good now is a more full, womanly woman,” said Higdon. “And we feel that the survey will bear this out.”
What they may find is that the ideal body image varies among age groups, said Barry Garber, vice president of marketing for U.S. Health. His company owns and operates 38 Holiday Spas on the East Coast.
“Overall, most members are looking to tone, firm and reduce the excess, to have a healthy look,” said Garber. More specifically, he said people are developing their own goals, depending on their age:
- For 21-year-olds the focus is on appearance, toning, sculpting and dramatic changes in muscle tone.
- For 35-year-olds appearance is important but more attention is paid to performance.
- For 60-year-olds the quality-of-life issue is significant. This group is giving meaning to the term “geri-actives.”
The experts urge us to boldly go where you have not gone before, to follow a reasonable course. Fitness is no longer Mission: Impossible.
“The most important thing is to have tone,” said Campbell. “You can be big and if you are solid and firm you won’t jiggle. You will feel better about yourself.”
So what’s the future of fitness?
“People are becoming integrated into total health,” said Lee Dukes, director of Campbell’s Institute of Health and Fitness. Look for these other trends to take shape:
- High-tech, high-touch: “Technology continues to grow rapidly. We offer a half-dozen lines of equipment, from Nautilus to computerized Paramount,” said Barry Garber of U.S. Health. “But high-tech by itself isn’t enough. You need ‘high-touch,’ or people in clubs to show members how to use the equipment.”
- Bigger body buildings: “Health clubs are here to stay,” said Jim Wallace of LivingWell. “It’s easier to exercise when you are surrounded by other people doing the same thing.”
To meet demand, clubs will be increasing in size. “We are building multipurpose facilities,” Garber said. “Our largest facilities are 45,000 square feet; 20 years ago we built 10,000 square feet, and that was considered big.”
- A new attitude: “You can tell any woman she looks great and she says, ‘I have to lose 5 pounds,’ ” Campbell said. “American women are compulsive about being thin. We should be compulsive about being fit.”
- Think fit: “Exercise has always been thought of as reaping physiological benefits, but that happens later,” said David J. Higdon of American Health. “New research shows that with the less strenuous activities, people will be pushing the psychological benefits early.”