Working out: aesthetic labour, affect and the fitness industry personal trainer

In this article, we identify the importance of aesthetic labour to the self-employed fitness industry personal trainer (PT), detailing the ways in which the PT trades on their own physical capital. We examine how these discussions relate to the aesthetic and material dimensions of body work (that is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Leisure studies Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 454 - 470
Main Authors: Harvey, Geraint, Vachhani, Sheena J., Williams, Karen
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Routledge 03.09.2014
Subjects:
aesthetic labour
afeto
affect
bodies
body work
corpos
emotional labour
health and fitness
Management
Professional Identity
saúde e preparo físico
trabalho corporal
trabalho emocional
trabalho estético
Trade
健美
健身
影响
感情劳动
美学劳动
身材
ISSN:0261-4367, 1466-4496
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In this article, we identify the importance of aesthetic labour to the self-employed fitness industry personal trainer (PT), detailing the ways in which the PT trades on their own physical capital. We examine how these discussions relate to the aesthetic and material dimensions of body work (that is to say, enacted on and through bodies) and the ways in which affective labour, inherent to this type of service work, intersects or delimits physical capital and the embodied competencies of the PT. We argue that the work of PTs helps to deepen emerging discussions and provides a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of affective and aesthetic labour. We assert that the confluences and contradictions between the affective and aesthetic dimensions of work in a fitness industry setting demonstrate that excessive physical capital is perceived as negative for the professional identity of PTs. In conclusion, implications for further research and management are discussed.
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ISSN:0261-4367
1466-4496
DOI:10.1080/02614367.2013.770548