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Letters: Write to reply
Negative body image remains a key barrier to exercise
Karen Keohane, National programme manager, Us Girls
It was with great interest that I read your body confidence article last year (see HCM June 12, p50). Us Girls – a sports charity aimed at getting young women aged 14 to 25 active – launched in April 2011 to get 30,000 young women from disadvantaged areas more active by providing them with fitness and sporting opportunities within their local communities. As such, we fully understand the significance of body image as a barrier to exercise. The fact that the issue is still prevalent among women aged over 30 makes it even more important to resolve the problem in younger generations.
Negative body image is associated with low self-esteem, emotional distress and depression, as well as being a risk factor for eating disorders. Us Girls has recently commissioned its own research into body image, and the study confirmed that many young women do not take part in organised exercise classes because they are too conscious of how they look. While they acknowledge that exercise will lead to improved fitness and general wellbeing, they are struggling to break the vicious circle which a negative body image imposes on them.
The research also suggests that young women are more likely to exercise if they enjoy the activity and if they are part of a small group, with group goals to achieve. Us Girls has shared these findings with the sports industry and produced ‘how to’ guides to help organisations understand the issue and help remove barriers.
Balancing trends with long-term health management
I was interested to read your recent editor’s letter, ‘A broader church’ (HCM NovDec 12, p3). As an industry, we are as fickle as the consumer. We jump from trend to trend in a bid to engage new audiences, which sometimes leads our existing members and customers to become disengaged and disinterested. That said, I believe some of these trends – especially those linked to HIT – will enable small, independent operators to create niches within their local communities, with lower initial set-up costs.
However, as a large operator of multi-service facilities, we would never specialise. Our user base is too diverse, from 80-year-olds who come for an early morning swim to families playing badminton and people on GP referral schemes. We are also placing more emphasis on the creation of zones – a bit like what Fitness Club 24 in Poland is doing – which enables flexibility.
For us, and indeed our clients, it’s all about the health agenda and what we can do to offer a more holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Trends come and go, but long-term sustainable health management is a serious matter, which is why this will always be at the centre of our offering. We will always appeal to a wide and diverse target audience within our communities.
Kevin Yates, Head of fitness, retention and marketing, Leisure Connection
