Gym bans skinny people; More fitness centers move to create friendlier environments for larger-size clientele Clients want to get fit without feeling like they’re being stared at or criticized
Sorry, skinny people -- you can’t work out here.
One gym in Canada is taking the growing “plus-size friendly” gym trend to the extreme and banning too-trim gym rats from exercising at its facility.
Body Exchange in Vancouver has a strict policy that only allows plus-size women to join their fitness center.
Founder and CEO Louise Green told TheProvince.com last week that the gym is a “safe haven” for overweight people.
“Many of our clients have not had successful fitness pasts so I can see the anxiety before we get started and I can see the relief and happiness after we finish,” she said. “People are often too fearful to become active. There wasn’t a model that offered camaraderie.”
Marty Wolff, who competed on season three of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” owns and operates the community based health club Square One in Omaha, Nebraska with wife Amy, who appeared alongside him on the televised weight loss show.
Wolff told the Daily News that their facility targets “people of size” -- clients with at least 50 lbs. to lose -- or struggle with emotional eating and food addiction.
He said that clients want a place where they can get fit without feeling like they’re being stared at or criticized.
Michael Hayes, yoga teacher at Buddha Body Yoga (Enid Alvarez/New York Daily News) Wolff doesn’t turn skinny people away from Square One. In fact, he says there are non-overweight patrons that prefer to work out in an environment with bigger people.
“What we have found is that there are some sub-populations who like to work out with ‘people of size,” he told the News.
Downsize Fitness, a gym with locations in Chicago, Las Vegas and Dallas, was developed specifically with chronically overweight and obese individuals in mind.
Jason Burns, a partner at Downsize Fitness who manages the Chicago office, says the gym is designed for people who have at least 50 pounds to lose.
Burns said that he doesn’t “ban” anyone from his gyms but he doesn’t encourage a skinny crowd either.
Courtesy Square One Health Club “We make it known that our specialty is working with people who have at least 50 pounds to lose,” he told the News. “Most people who come here, come here for that reason.”
Michael Hayes, owner of Buddha Body Yoga in Union Square, runs a yoga studio that is catered exclusively to a plus-size clientele.
While he doesn’t have a concrete “ban” in place, he understands the need for a safe space, free of judgment.
"I started my practice because I was tired of being the biggest person in the classroom," Hayes told the News in April 2011.
Wolff said he was similarly inspired -- he said he saw a need for a gym that made larger-size people feel more comfortable.
“My whole life, I have always wished there was a place for other big people,” he said “So I created one.”
So when these overweight people start to lose weight and get smaller, they have to find a new place to go? That doesn't sound like a very sustainable business plan.
I get it, and I appreciate it - lord knows I stayed away from the gym in college in large part out of intimidation - but I actually think this does a disservice to the idea that ALL people need to practice healthy behaviors and that it's health, not appearance, that is important.
I get it, and I appreciate it - lord knows I stayed away from the gym in college in large part out of intimidation - but I actually think this does a disservice to the idea that ALL people need to practice healthy behaviors and that it's health, not appearance, that is important.
Agreed. I have no problem with a gym trying to market itself to overweight people as a welcoming place and, as some of the gyms identified in the article do, specializing in people who have large amounts of weight to lose. There are all different kinds of gyms, and different people feel comfortable at different ones.
So when these overweight people start to lose weight and get smaller, they have to find a new place to go? That doesn't sound like a very sustainable business plan.
Maybe they'd be allowed to stay, but they wouldn't be allowed to be like that alcoholic who got sober and is now a giant tool about it. They'd have to still be understanding and serve as a beacon of hope, inspiration, and motivation.
I'd be all for this if I could find such a place with a pool. I love to swim. I want to swim SO BADLY. But I'll never get into a bathing suit in front of anyone but my husband at this weight.
Not to be all creepy, BB, but my complex DOES have a pool. And there's hardly ever anyone at all in it. And I girl scout promise not to judge you. Just sayin'....
I guess if you own a gym or chain of gyms, it's your prerogative who to cater to... but it seems awfully shortsighted for when Jane over there finally achieves the svelte body of her dreams and is then denied entry for her achievement.
Disclaimer: Jane, of Dick and Jane, a non-specific female name I plucked out of the vast list available. Not intended to refer to anyone here!
So when these overweight people start to lose weight and get smaller, they have to find a new place to go? That doesn't sound like a very sustainable business plan.
Maybe they'd be allowed to stay, but they wouldn't be allowed to be like that alcoholic who got sober and is now a giant tool about it. They'd have to still be understanding and serve as a beacon of hope, inspiration, and motivation.
I'd be all for this if I could find such a place with a pool. I love to swim. I want to swim SO BADLY. But I'll never get into a bathing suit in front of anyone but my husband at this weight.
Is there any place around you that has separate men's and women's pools? I know of a place here that does, and while the women in the pool were usually thinner than me, I was generally more comfortable swimming when there were no men around.
My other suggestion is to go to a YMCA at 5:30 or 6am. IME, it's at least 90% senior citizens at that hour.
Nowhere in the article did I see that they were specifically banning skinny people, but my mind is elsewhere right now and I may be failing at reading comp.
I think catering to a specific clientele is just fine. I am always one of the biggest people at my gym (and I'm currently wearing around a 14-16, but that's the case even at an 8-10), and if people wanna stare or judge, they are free to be tools and do so.
ETA: Oh, I see up top that the gym in Canada does have a specific ban. I think that's dumb.
Nowhere in the article did I see that they were specifically banning skinny people, but my mind is elsewhere right now and I may be failing at reading comp.
I think catering to a specific clientele is just fine. I am always one of the biggest people at my gym (and I'm currently wearing around a 14-16, but that's the case even at an 8-10), and if people wanna stare or judge, they are free to be tools and do so.
The Canadian gym at the opening of the article was said to only be open to overweight people. The American gyms mentioned all just said that they market to overweight people and specialize in helping people with 50+ pounds to lose.
The latter doesn't bother me one bit. The former is stupid.
Post by mominatrix on Jun 25, 2012 11:12:48 GMT -5
I wasn't reading it that if people lost weight, they'd have to leave... Imagine if, when you went to the gym and saw people who looked great, you knew that they once were overweight, too. I think that would be an amazing motivator.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using ProBoards... So excuse any wonky autocorrect.
I am about 90lbs overweight and being a fatty at the gym has never been a concern of mine. Except maybe in that many of the fitness classes are too hard for me. Though my friend who is heavier than me can do all the classes better than I could at my ideal weight, so maybe that doesn't mean much.
Post by statlerwaldorf on Jun 25, 2012 11:28:07 GMT -5
I like the idea. To be honest, I felt so much more comfortable and more likely to go when I joined the YMCA versus the other gyms in my area. I never felt comfortable being the only heavy person in a gym full of extremely fit people.
Maybe they'd be allowed to stay, but they wouldn't be allowed to be like that alcoholic who got sober and is now a giant tool about it. They'd have to still be understanding and serve as a beacon of hope, inspiration, and motivation.
I'd be all for this if I could find such a place with a pool. I love to swim. I want to swim SO BADLY. But I'll never get into a bathing suit in front of anyone but my husband at this weight.
Is there any place around you that has separate men's and women's pools? I know of a place here that does, and while the women in the pool were usually thinner than me, I was generally more comfortable swimming when there were no men around.
My other suggestion is to go to a YMCA at 5:30 or 6am. IME, it's at least 90% senior citizens at that hour.
I really like the YMCA. They also have water aerobics classes that are all either very heavy women or senior citizens. Swimming was one of the biggest contributors to my weight loss. I would go swimming when I was sore from my last exercise. I was almost 300 lbs at my heaviest and a lot of exercises caused me pain and swimming would give me a really good painfree workout. There were certain times I would have the pool to myself.
So when these overweight people start to lose weight and get smaller, they have to find a new place to go? That doesn't sound like a very sustainable business plan.
Well, with the way America is going, I don't think they'll be at a loss for new customers.
I think it's an interesting idea that's worth a shot. And as for the "it's health, not appearance that matters" at 50 lbs overweight, I'm sure there is some effect on health.
I do wonder on what they do once someone goes from 75 lbs overweight to 49, though. That in between group seems like it would be hard to deal with (still quite overweight but got under the cut off using the gym).
That's kind of your prerogative, though, right? If you weigh 200 pounds, you might have a goal of losing 45, or you might have a goal of losing 75, and you don't need to necessarily tell anyone else what that goal is.
I would love if my gym had classes about overeating, emotional eating, nutrition, or weight loss classes targeted towards obese people. I can definitely see how a gym is intimidating. If I'd never had a personal trainer, I'd be so lost and intimidated at my gym!
I love seeing larger people at the gym to be honest. It really gives me a swift kick in the butt.
A swift kick in the butt so you DON'T gain weight? Just wanting some clarification, I guess.
I understand the thought behind this and think it's great if people want to run their business like this, but I am also confused about what happens to members when they have met their weight loss goal and are no longer at least 50 pounds overweight?
My first knee-jerk reaction is "Oh FFS, going to the gym is about being healthy, not your appearance". So on that vein, I think this is totally stupid because what, people who are thin can't be healthy too?
But on the other hand, if this is what motivates people to actually get to a gym, then maybe it's not such a terrible idea. If people are staying away from the gym because they're afraid of being judged...
Haven't we learned though that as women, we're all going to judge the hell out of each other no matter what? So I say there's still going to be some heavy duty judging going on at this gym.
I am too. I'm in that lovely "morbidly obese" category and even though I live in backwoods MO with one of the highest obesity levels in the country, every gym I've ever stepped in has been full of thin, svelte people. Maybe they aren't looking at or judging me, but I feel like everyone of them are looking at me like "eww!" I know this is an issue with me and my psyche, but I'm sure other people in my situation feel the same way. If we had one of these "fatties only" gyms around here, I'd be joining like whoa.
For those that are okay with a place banning the skinny people, I'm assuming you'd also be okay with places that ban the fatties?
I don't think that's necessarily so. Just because a minority or subgroup gets something for legitimate reasons, doesn't mean others need to just because.
For those that are okay with a place banning the skinny people, I'm assuming you'd also be okay with places that ban the fatties?
No, I'm not. I know that's patently unfair of me, but that's my opinion. LOL I don't know what the answer to the dilemma is... maybe a strict "no skinnies allowed" policy isn't the way to go, but I really could get behind a place that "caters" to the specific needs of the obese.
Not to be all creepy, BB, but my complex DOES have a pool. And there's hardly ever anyone at all in it. And I girl scout promise not to judge you. Just sayin'....
Aww, thank you, arbor! That is really nice. I will actually give this some thought!
NP.
As a bonus, you'll get to meet the terrifyingly awesome bengals, who are currently in the process of being leash trained (and who are apparently being wild huntresses now that I'm feeding them a partially raw diet...)
For those that are okay with a place banning the skinny people, I'm assuming you'd also be okay with places that ban the fatties?
No, but I am not OK with banning skinny people.
In the OP's article, none of the American gyms actually banned thinner people. They simply have identified a different target market than, say, Bally's.
I thought this was sort of Planet Fitness' schtick. They tout a "judgment free zone". I'm a member at PF and I like it for the $10/mo membership, but as a fat woman, I've never felt judged by fitter gym members. I may have projected my own insecurities on to others, but I would say 99.9% of the time, all other gym goers are just trying to do their workout. The only person who made me feel like I wasn't capable was some total tool of a personal trainer who thought his shit don't stink. But that's on him.
Anyway, if this club works to make fat people feel comfortable working out, I guess I'm OK with it.