How Quarantine Broke the Fitness Industrial Complex
Lockdown broke the cult of fitness, ushering in a new moment of being gentle with ourselves. Mirrorpix
Before the pandemic, Kristen Wilson, 33, was a reluctant gym-goer whose discomfort in fitness environments caused years of unpleasant experiences. In group classes, she’d push herself to the point of pain, overextending because she didn’t want to look out of place among the workout zealots beside her. “Even yoga, which is supposed to be relaxing, was always so stressful for me,” Wilson, who lives in New Jersey, says, recalling the dread she d feel walking into a class. “I’ve tried different gyms, different times of day, different methods. I was never focused on me. I was always focused on how my body was being perceived.”