A critical narrative analysis of the perspectives of physical trainers and fitness instructors in relation to their body image, professional practice and the consumer culture

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to critically analyse the perspectives of physical trainers and fitness instructors in relation to their body image, professional practice, and the consumer culture. Fourteen fitness professionals (8 personal trainers, 6 fitness instructors), between 28–37 years of age, volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed inductively through narrative content analysis. Two main categories emerged: (a) multiple representations of body image as an instrument of professional practice and (b) strategies for keeping a lean, youthful, and professional body image while coping with the standards of the consumer society. Each had its corresponding subcategories. The results show that there exist several links between corporeal identity, body image, and the consumer culture. Some of these connections represent sources of credibility and cultural capital, whereas others have detrimental physical and psychological consequences for fitness professionals.

KEYWORDS:

• Body image
• physical ideal
• fitness profession
• corporeal discourses
• physical capital
• consumer culture

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 http://www.ehfa-standards.eu/es-standards.

2 Initials are used, instead of real names, in order to preserve the participants’ identity.

3 By contrast, as a response to this trend, there is an emerging backlash of consumer anti-brand activism (see Hollenbeck & Zinkhan, 2002).