Productizing Physical Activity

During the last decade physical activity has integrated more closely into the global lifestyle industry such as media, music, fashion and food industries. New fitness companies together with the health club industry have developed new standardised fitness classes which are available globally. From Sydney to Sao Paulo, Rio to Rovaniemi and Auckland to Amsterdam, consumers can attend exactly similar conducted exercise programmes. Based on franchising principles and licences, these new global “kinaesthetic products” can radically change the ethos of physical education which was founded on social innovations and the open source idea of body techniques.

The research project Productizing Physical Activity (LITTA) looks into fitness product development and their supply in fitness centres. The research project examines how new fitness innovations are produced and what kind of expertise this embodied product development requires. In analysing the rationalization of fitness services on the global market, the research investigates how franchising principles and licences change the work of fitness instructors. The hypothesis is that health clubs employ those fitness instructors who have performing skills and aesthetic competencies to promote the brands of fitness trademarks. The research examines what kind of emotional and kinaesthetic experiences consumers look for in new fitness products and the physical capital they expect to gain in fitness classes. In analysing kinaesthetic products integrated into other products of the lifestyle industry, the research examines how new fitness lifestyles are constructed.

The site of the research project is The Research Centre for Philosophy of Sport, Body and Movement (TALFIT), the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Tampere. The project is funded by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation and the Ministry of Education Finland 2008 – 2010.