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Road To Fitsville
Jan. 7th, 2006 11:37 amThere are certain events forever associated with particular times of the year. Easter and Eggs, Christmas and Stuffing, Valentine's Day and overbooked restaurants, and, of course, New Year and fitness DVDs.
Just as the bookshelves of non-specialist stores only sell books on poker by "names" (for which, many thanks, since it minimizes the chances that any of these new players will read something useful, such as the Harrington volumes, or Feeney, or Ed Miller), so it would appear that only famous people can tell us how to get fit. In some cases, there is a certain rationale. OK, Dame Kelly Holmes might not be a qualified fitness instructor (or maybe she is, how am I to know?), but she is, at least in the technical if not in the aesthetic sense, fit.
But it would appear that we also have "Max & Paddy's Fitness DVD", as in Peter Kay. Well, all credit to the man, although I think that any person responsible for the resurrection of Tony Christie's career deserves transportation, but I can hardly imagine Les Dawson. if he were still alive, doing a "get fit with Les" video, or Morecambe & Wise appearing for a half-hour morning session of Pilates. And, well, is Peter Kay the best man to be directing us on how to live a healthier lifestyle? What next, Johnny Vegas?
Of course, it's like cookery books and TV shows of recent years. This is "get fit vicariously and be entertained at the same time" — nothing to do with actually getting up off your arse (or, of course, in certain types of Yoga and fitness exercises, staying on your arse) and getting healthy. You just sit on the couch, eat your crisps, and watch someone else half-heartedly stretch their way to kilo-loss-land.
( more rantings )
Just as the bookshelves of non-specialist stores only sell books on poker by "names" (for which, many thanks, since it minimizes the chances that any of these new players will read something useful, such as the Harrington volumes, or Feeney, or Ed Miller), so it would appear that only famous people can tell us how to get fit. In some cases, there is a certain rationale. OK, Dame Kelly Holmes might not be a qualified fitness instructor (or maybe she is, how am I to know?), but she is, at least in the technical if not in the aesthetic sense, fit.
But it would appear that we also have "Max & Paddy's Fitness DVD", as in Peter Kay. Well, all credit to the man, although I think that any person responsible for the resurrection of Tony Christie's career deserves transportation, but I can hardly imagine Les Dawson. if he were still alive, doing a "get fit with Les" video, or Morecambe & Wise appearing for a half-hour morning session of Pilates. And, well, is Peter Kay the best man to be directing us on how to live a healthier lifestyle? What next, Johnny Vegas?
Of course, it's like cookery books and TV shows of recent years. This is "get fit vicariously and be entertained at the same time" — nothing to do with actually getting up off your arse (or, of course, in certain types of Yoga and fitness exercises, staying on your arse) and getting healthy. You just sit on the couch, eat your crisps, and watch someone else half-heartedly stretch their way to kilo-loss-land.
( more rantings )
