There is no doubting the recent boom in the wellness sector, particularly in the fitness sector. After all, our society is obsessed with looks, and the rise of fit-fluencers over the past three years has made us more aware of the aesthetic benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Who can ever forget how Chloe Ting’s strenuous workouts held us hostage during the pandemic? However, following the shutdown, other racial and diversity-related problems were made public in a number of businesses, including wellness.
This is nothing new, though. The wellness industry has always been one that is extremely thin and white. We have been told Black bodies are made differently since the beginning of time. It is hardly surprising that, through normalized practices and marketing, these ideas would filter down into the wellness business because we are bigger and less delicate than our white counterparts.
Only 56% of Black people in England in 2020 met the prescribed 150 minutes of physical exercise per week, according to Sport for All, and this is directly tied to representation. “In the past, the activities that were advertised towards Black people were always boxing lessons, cycling, dance, pole dancing, and twerking classes,” explains Tifuh Mona, a mindful movement instructor. Two decades into her fitness career, it’s only recently she has seen a wellbeing shift that is undoubtedly tied to the uprising that took place during the pandemic towards representation as it pertains to race, gender, and size.
So join us in celebrating these Black-owned and women-friendly initiatives and add them to your activity list.
