The fitness industry is deeply influenced by social trends, making it essential to understand its ethical landscape to recognize potential pitfalls. This article goes over the ethics of inclusive fitness while offering valuable tips for navigating social media, selecting the right trainer, uncovering the truth about MLMs, and more. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or professional, maintaining a mindful and informed approach will ensure a healthy mental outlook as you pursue your fitness journey.
What Is Inclusive Fitness?
Inclusivity as a working definition involves creating a welcoming, effective, and equitable environment for everyone regardless of age, race, gender, body type, and ability. Historically, the fitness industry failed to be inclusive and to create inclusive spaces.
In recent years, events like the pandemic and police violence have shed light on equity issues on a cultural level. In the fitness industry, responses ranged from extremely helpful to apathy to performative allyship. In 2020, a Colorado yoga studio shut down 9 locations within a week, as they were called out for performative activism while dismissing the requests and needs of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ teachers at the studios. To quote an article from the Coalition for Food & Health Equity, “We realized that fitness spaces lacked a clear and definitive identity related to anti-racism, equity, and social justice advocacy”. Fortunately, the pandemic showed us that there are ways to be more equitable and accessible through Zoom and other online platforms.
The Ethics Of Fitness
The fitness industry has no overarching code of ethics. Therefore, it is up to you to be aware of the unethical aspects of the fitness industry, and to choose spaces that feel aligned with your morals. For example, a gym that is accessible for all abilities, is ADA compliant, and values body positivity, gender and cultural sensitivities, and addresses financial barriers will be a safe and rewarding space to workout in. These spaces also contain opportunities to form friendships and get involved in local activism. As a good rule of thumb, whatever you choose to engage with in the fitness industry (spaces, programs, trainers, influencer, etc.) should make you feel safe, more knowledgeable than before, and empowered.
Navigating Body Image In The Era Of Social Media
Fitness trends shown on social media are a curated reality. Posts only show the best of the best: the best angles, the best-looking days, and the best lighting to highlight muscle definition. Additionally, much of what is shared on social media is digitally manipulated to erase any perceived imperfections. These images do not accurately represent reality and contribute to unrealistic and harmful beauty standards for all genders. If the influencers you follow use their physique to promote their programs and products by making you feel inadequate in comparison, they are not worth following and can negatively impact your mental health.
Influencers worth following create posts that are educational and offer tips tailored to your specific lifestyle. Their content should make you feel good about yourself, inspire you, and provide actionable advice to help you progress in your personal fitness journey.
Coaching Qualification: Who’s Guiding Your Fitness Journey?
The fitness industry has no licensing, instead trainers have various certifications and titles. This is why it is extremely important to make sure your trainer or coach is at least certified through a governing body that is nationally accredited. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) sets standards for certification programs on a national level. NCCA accreditation is considered the gold standard for programs that certify professionals in healthcare, fitness, and wellness. If your coach or trainer has a certification accredited by the NCCA, like an ACE, ACSM, or NASM certification, it is a legitimate qualification. However, having an NCCA accreditation is the BARE MINIMUM requirement for finding a personal trainer. So, at the very least, anyone who trains you or sells you a program needs to have NCCA accreditation.
If you are considering hiring a fitness coach or trainer, ask them about their retention rate and how many clients they have. Good coaches tend to have a lot of clients that stay with them for years. It’s also important to look at reviews. If a coach’s business is listed on Google, their clients will be able to write reviews. You can also ask them for testimonials they have gathered.
Coaches have to start out somewhere, and having an inexperienced coach might work out well. However, a new coach also needs to be conscious of their limitations. If your coach doesn’t know how to deal with pain, a particular injury, or physical condition, they need to refer you to someone that does. Personal trainer experience is an important component to finding the right fit for chronic health issues and injuries. It’s also a giant red flag if a coach is training you or creating programming that mirrors the way they train.
Healthcare & Fitness Industry: Profit Or Wellness?
According to Bloomberg, the global wellness industry is worth 6.3 trillion dollars, and has been growing rapidly since COVID. Projections from the global wellness institute have estimated this industry could reach 9 trillion by 2028. That being said, the healthcare and fitness industry are absolutely for profit.
However, integrity still matters. Content, programs, etc. that have a general focus on long-term health (not body image) and preventative care are ideal. Inversely, be wary of profit driven companies that advertise supplements, metabolism myths, weight loss pills, and fat burners that promise quick and drastic results. These profit driven companies capitalize on body insecurity and desperation to make their money. Miracle results that do not involve surgery or medical procedures are not real and will never be real. Drastic results are long-term and based on beneficial habit formation. Throw insurance claims and issues with access to insurance in the American Health Care system into the mix, and the waters turn even more murky in regard to ethics, access, equity, and healthcare.
MLMs, Beachbody, & The Ethics of Selling Fitness Dreams
MLM stands for multilevel marketing. Think of it as a pyramid. The individuals at the top of the pyramid make money from whomever is underneath them. For a long time, Beach Body was a MLM. However, in 2024, after scrutiny for both its name and marketing methods, Beachbody publicly moved away from their affiliate model and completely eliminated the entire Beachboy network, rebranding itself as BODi.
Other MLMs in the fitness sphere include Fabletics VIP Program, Arbonne, Juice Plus+, PŪRIUM, and more. MLMs often exaggerate their claims without any scientific backing, pressure to recruit, and many distributors face high upfront costs to purchase inventory.
Selling an Ideal Image vs. Promoting Health and Individuality
In the world of social media, it’s incredibly difficult not to feel inadequate when you see a perfectly curated photo of your favorite fitness influencer. However, regardless of their appearance, fitness influencers should focus on educating, addressing equity issues, and promoting health over body image. It’s crucial to do your research and due diligence to avoid supporting brands and individuals who are one-trick ponies, only selling their image or a “magic pill.”
Toward A More Inclusive & Ethical Fitness Future
The future of fitness lies in creating inclusive, accessible, and ethical spaces that prioritize well-being over profit-driven models. This involves addressing barriers and increasing the representation of diverse body types, ethnicities, genders, and abilities. Many professionals and gyms are already taking steps in this direction, but as a consumer, it’s up to you to support gyms, programs, and products that align with these values and promote long-term inclusivity and sustainability.
Want to learn more about the ethics of fitness? Listen to episode 217 of the Stronger Than Your Boyfriend Podcast: The Ethics of Fitness
Sources Cited:
Coalition Equity. (n.d.). Uproot, uprise, and rebuild: Fitness equity. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from https://www.coalitionequity.org/post/uproot-uprise-and-rebuild-fitness-equity
Paul, J. (2020, June 29). Kindness Yoga permanently closes after facing backlash during Black Lives Matter movement. The Colorado Sun. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from https://coloradosun.com/2020/06/29/kindness-yoga-closure-during-black-lives-matter/
Bloomberg News. (2024, November 5). Global wellness industry is now worth $6.3 trillion. Bloomberg. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-05/global-wellness-industry-is-now-worth-6-3-trillion
Global Wellness Institute. (n.d.). Statistics and facts. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/statistics-and-facts/
