Physical activities that encourage/support very unfit people doing them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do not consider myself superior, morally or otherwise, to the people in this class.

I think it's great when people of any fitness level or weight engage in physical activity. I think professionals in the fitness industry have a duty to tell clients how excess weight might impact their risk of injury, and to stop a client from engaging in a risky activity before they have the requisite strength level. I think this company might be exploiting people by saying "anyone can do this! it's easy!" and then encouraging people to do something with a high risk of injury.

Again, most of the people in this class had a prior injury from doing this activity. It was discussed as a badge of honor and not a red flag. As a former fitness professional, that's deeply concerning to me.

Some activities really do require certain prerequisite abilities. And certain physical activities are much riskier if someone is carrying more weight, because it increases the potential strain on joints, ESPECIALLY if someone consistently engages in strength activities with poor form (often caused by excess weight).

I think this business might be immoral, not the people engaged in the activity.

NO apparently you don't think it's great at all. It's only great when they aren't engaging in a class you are and that you deem to be for much better people than fatties.

Fitness instructors are not medical professionals and can't decide whether an activity poses a risk. That's why they advise people to talk to their doctor first before participating.

You have no idea why a person had a "stress" injury or if they even in fact had one. Your worry is phony.

Don't go back if you don't like being in class with fat people.

And why do I think your definition of overweight is like 20 lbs over ideal weight

Well I was a first time student there and no one there asked me if I had any injuries or issues that might inhibit my ability to take the class, nor did anyone tell me to consult with a doctor before engaging in the activity. And I actually do have a back injury that was rehabbed several years ago and I informed them of it.

Also, as a former fitness instructor, yes, you can tell a person that doing a strength-based activity with poor form poses a risk of injury. This is why a responsible fitness instructor would not allow a student to engage in an activity like that with poor form repeatedly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since you won’t say what kind of activity this is, what do you want us to say?

I'm going with aerial yoga

Nope, I've taken aerial yoga and I actually think it's a great activity for people who are working to build strength or who may be carrying extra weight -- the aerial sling offers a lot of support and most moves can be easily modified to accommodate injury, different body types, and different abilities.

This activity was much more "all or nothing" than that, and there were no options for modification for someone who might need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since you won’t say what kind of activity this is, what do you want us to say?

I'm going with aerial yoga

Horseback riding. Specifically, dressage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since you won’t say what kind of activity this is, what do you want us to say?

I'm going with aerial yoga

Horseback riding. Specifically, dressage.

Are you Op? Because if so, what is your background in this sport?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t care. It’s their problem if they hurt themselves. Obviously if they have been injured doing it before they know the risk. Plus they sign away liability. Why do you care?

[Anonymous]

This sounds like crossfit. It's a disaster in terms of injuries.

[Anonymous]

Trapeze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like crossfit. It's a disaster in terms of injuries.

It's 100% crossfit.

Or at a crossfit gym. Lots of heavier people join crossfit - no yoga pants, no neon pink clothes....etc etc. I did CF for about 2 years. It was extremely welcoming to all but it was very dangerous for most folks.

[Anonymous]

I think you need to just tell them - they are too fat for pure barre. Then you wouldn't have to be around any of the overweights, which I am sure would make you feel so much more comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since you won’t say what kind of activity this is, what do you want us to say?

I'm going with aerial yoga

It's totally this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do not consider myself superior, morally or otherwise, to the people in this class.

I think it's great when people of any fitness level or weight engage in physical activity. I think professionals in the fitness industry have a duty to tell clients how excess weight might impact their risk of injury, and to stop a client from engaging in a risky activity before they have the requisite strength level. I think this company might be exploiting people by saying "anyone can do this! it's easy!" and then encouraging people to do something with a high risk of injury.

Again, most of the people in this class had a prior injury from doing this activity. It was discussed as a badge of honor and not a red flag. As a former fitness professional, that's deeply concerning to me.

Some activities really do require certain prerequisite abilities. And certain physical activities are much riskier if someone is carrying more weight, because it increases the potential strain on joints, ESPECIALLY if someone consistently engages in strength activities with poor form (often caused by excess weight).

I think this business might be immoral, not the people engaged in the activity.

Really? You were able to take a survey of everyone in the class and be able to conclude that most of them had been injured as a result of the activity? And that the injuries were severe enough to warrant them never coming back to class? I find this very hard to believe.

Also, people of all shapes and sizes get injured when doing all kinds of activities-I threw my back out once while receiving a massage! How can you possibly know that the excess weight is the proximate cause of the injury based on a comment in passing?

[Anonymous]

OP, how experienced are you at this activity? Were you able to perform at the same level of the people you think shouldn’t be participating? Just curious what your basis for calling any of this in to question is. You sound like a newb who can’t believe fat people can do sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since you won’t say what kind of activity this is, what do you want us to say?

I'm going with aerial yoga

Horseback riding. Specifically, dressage.

Riding requires strength, but overweight riders are not more likely to get injured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently took a class in a niche physical activity (I don't want to say which one because it might identify me or the place, it's not pole dancing but think something like that).

The class I took had 10 students in it, and I quickly learned I was the only first time student -- everyone else had been doing this activity for a while. In talking to the other students, I learned most of them had been doing it once or twice a week for years. It's a hard activity that requires a lot of physical strength to progress.

Of the 9 return students, three of them were clearly very fit and had a lot of physical strength that was enabling them to do this activity at a high activity.

The rest were extremely unfit. Some were overweight, which I think could pose a potential injury risk for this activity. Some were not overweight but clearly did little or no strength training outside this activity. I honestly am concerned about how often these folks are doing a demanding, strength focused hobby given that even after years, they have not put in the time to build strength to do it well. All of these students were working at what appeared to be basically a beginning level.

The place hosting us seemed to celebrate these students and the staff were super supportive, telling them how proud they were of them for performing basic skills that, in some cases, they did in what looked to me to be an unsafe way. I get that these are the customers and the business is trying to be supportive and also encourage repeat business.

But at what point is this some kind of malpractice. Several of the other students told me about injuries they had had doing this activity, including repetitive stress injuries that were clearly due to doing a strength-intensive activity without proper form. I honestly feel like I should maybe file a complaint with this business -- I used to be a personal trainer and I cannot imagine exposing any of my former clients to this sort of risk for injury just to be "encouraging" or to ensure they keep paying me. But the activity was fun and I could see doing it again, I just don't know if I can patronize a business I think to be irresponsible in this way.

It was alarming. Has anyone else encountered this? What did you do?

Who do you think you are to evaluate their potential risk? Mind your business.

[Anonymous]

Oh how fun, a fat shaming thread that shames fat people for working on their fitness. And yet the fatphobes wonder why we don’t hit the gym more often.

OP you are a nasty person. I hope you mature before you die, otherwise your life has been a total waste.