The First Fitness Boom
What are some Fitness Tools that became very popular in the First Fitness Boom, what are some socio cultural reasons that the public loved these so much?
Things like treadmills and aerobics videos in the 1970s - 1980s were revolutionary in their time because they provided new means for people to exercise at home, limiting financial barriers; this furthered the common sense belief that physical fitness was achievable by all.
What are some examples of technologies that emerged during the second fitness boom, and why do you think that these have revolutionized the way we exercise?
Things like wearable trackers (e.g. Fitbit), fitness-themed apps (e.g. MyFitnessPal), videogames (e.g. Wii fit) all revolutionized fitness in the way that they turned fitness consumers into prosumers. These technologies did this by taking the data fed to them by the consumers, and using said data to create a custom, optimized fitness experience for the user.
What are some ways that socio-technical prosumption has harmed the fitness industry? (this can be stuff we talked about on the slides or things you all have seen in your day-to-day lives)
Things we found in the reading:
Relying too much on tech can decrease intrinsic motivation.
Surveillance can intrude personal privacy beyond comfort level for many people.
What are some benefits of the ever increasing human-technology interactivity?
Fitness participants can receive real-time feedback on how to better perform (i.e. sensoria smartwear that coaches runners). Additionally things, like the Wii fit and other fitness games can make certain populations more inclined to take up fitness and find enjoyment in it.
How did those of neoliberal ideology seek to solve public problems in the health and wellness sector during the first fitness boom?
By promoting privatized market solutions such as Jane Fonda or Dynamic-Tension to solve the 'problem of health' for the responsible consumer.
What cultural shifts have emerged in society because of the data-intensiveness of the second-fitness boom and, do you think these shifts are good or bad?
With the data-intensiveness of the second fitness boom, we have seen increased self-surveillance within society. These tendencies can either be adaptive to produce positive changes within individuals or maladaptive to leading to things like obsession over fitness and health.
What are some barriers (these can be structural or personal) that limit fitness trackers from being able deliver on their universally appealing promise to track everything all the time.
This could be any number of things such as, financial barriers, fitness trackers are not appropriate in many types of sports, fitness trackers can be inaccurate at times etc.
What are some ways that optimization (that comes from fitness prosumption) enhances fitness endeavors.
People are able to design fitness programs that work for THEM and their schedules. People can also be empowered to take control of their own fitness journeys in ways they previously thought impossible.
How did fitness influence one's sociocultural status following the first fitness boom? Does that influence still exist today?
During the first fitness boom fitness was a moral imperative, it was a symbol of self-control, discipline and consumer power. This notion definitely exists to some extent today but the second fitness boom has definitely changed it.
How does the Networked aspect of the second fitness boom (i.e. finding social media fitness communities) affect the traditional notions of collective support and individual accountability?
Accountability 2.0 has emerged, it is the idea that fitness isn't just achieved through generating customized fitness but also through seeking support from others using modern technologies. Think of using peloton leaderboards as an example of accountability 2.0.
What are some flaws with the ideology that fitness prosumption and the neoliberal ideology of fitness being a personal responsibility?
There is a number of things this could be for example, taking enjoyment out of fitness, creating shame for individuals who are not as physically fit as they would like to be, ignoring sociocultural factors that may dissuade people from participating in physical activity etc.
What could be some positive things about fitness being used as a means of prosumption at the individual level.
It provides people with the ability to pursue fitness in a way that can be empowering in that they can make fitness work for THEM and THEIR needs.