Exercise videos feed our insecurities
Using exercise DVDs to achieve fitness goals may not be a good idea. A new study by the University of Oregon says that these DVDs contain unrealistic body images and demotivating language.
Lead researcher Brad Caringal and colleagues studied 10 popular, instructor-led DVDs and found that they show hypersexualized, unrealistic body goals and “tough love” statements that do more harm than good.
Researchers found that most of the instructors and models were slim, female and white, and they typically wore revealing attire. That sends a subtle message about what people who are fit should look like, Cardinal said. This perpetuates objectification of the female body in particular and emphasizes physical appearance as opposed to improved health, he said.
The researchers also found that a quarter of the language used by instructors was motivational, but one of every seven motivational statements was considered negative. Negative statements included phrases such as “say hello to your sexy six-pack,” “you better be sweating,” and “you should be dying right now.”
Such messages could be particularly harmful to users who are turning to exercise DVDs to start a new fitness routine or who are uncomfortable in a gym or fitness class setting, Cardinal said. The exercise videos were marketed to novice exercisers while the movement skills tended to be designed for intermediate or advanced levels of fitness, and the instructors’ verbal messages sometimes taunted observers to keep up.
“You’re inviting into your home these images and messages that could make you feel bad about yourself, and ultimately hinder your efforts to improve your health,” he said. “If the experience is not positive, the likelihood the person is going to continue with an exercise program diminishes.”
Cardinal urged potential fitness DVD consumers to be mindful of the potential pitfalls of the product when selecting and using exercise videos.
“Buyers should beware when making these purchases,” he said. “Remember that we all have different body shapes and styles, and our bodies may respond differently to the exercises being shown. Don’t expect to get the same results as what you see on the screen or compare yourself to others.”
The findings are being published in the latest issue of the Sociology of Sport Journal. Co-authors of the study are: OSU graduate students Kim A. Rogers, Brian Kuo, Rosalee L. Locklear and Katelyn E. Comfort; and Professor Marita K. Cardinal of Western Oregon University.
