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The Associated Press published an online article from the National Association of Physical Activity and Health, (http://napah.ca/asp/news/articles/women_who_exercise_mirrors_feel_worse.asp), which cited studies that indicate mirrors in workout settings can have a negative influence on how women feel and view themselves.? The article did not focus on women with disabilities. ?????????Kerry Wiley working with James House, III??????????????????
Yet, when I read the article, I thought about the wall of mirrors in the fitness center I attend.
During my workouts, I am challenging the limits of my body, how I view my body, and my capabilities.?? Frequently I work with my Movement Specialist in a studio. The room has an entire wall covered with mirrors.? The mirrors are there to help clients improve their technique.? When I start my workout, I turn away from the?mirrors.? I do not want to see myself when I exercise.? I feel when something goes wrong, such as having my legs go into spasms from an exercise,? I do not need or want to see the visual effects of the leg spasms or some other ?dysfunction.?
When I am in session, I am using every ounce of energy and concentration I have to accomplish the assigned task and exercise.? I am giving everything I have physically and psychologically to defy the spasticity and other challenges related to my Cerebral Palsy.? In these moments, I only see the goal I am working towards? to walk without assistive devices.? I do not see what the mirrors show, the asymmetries, imbalances, or ?dysfunctions? of my body.
A 2005 study noted that ?women with disabilities ages 19 to 60 negatively evaluate their bodies.?[i]??? Studies have also shown that ?exercising in mirrored environments produces negative feelings in sedentary women who exercise alone or in the presence of others.? [ii]
When I pay attention to the mirror image in the studio, my feelings about myself often change.? I experience a heightened sense of self-consciousness.? If I have successfully completed the instructions or exercises given?by my Movement Specialist, I?m okay with the reflection in the mirror.? If I have not been successful in my program, the feelings of frustration and disappointment multiply when I see my reflection and what appears to so many as my physical ?dysfunctions.?
The Movement Specialist I work with often prompts me to look into the mirror to view a specific body position or stance, and copy the corrections they illustrate, all with the intent of having me learn a new pattern or technique.? Sometimes when I look into that mirror, I fail to see the alteration or improvement.? Instead I see the physical limits of my movements.? I become sidetracked and am forced to see how far I have to go or discover another new hurdle to overcome.
Should mirrors be in fitness centers?? Given the choice, I would remove all of the mirrors from the fitness center I attend.? I work hard to safeguard the image I hold of myself away from the mirrors; the reflection I see is one without imbalances, asymmetries, and dysfunctions. ?One day I may come to value the use of mirrors as a tool in my fitness program.? For now, I am a woman giving everything she has towards achieving a personal goal, and I will continue ignoring the wall of mirrors.
[i] Reel, Justine J.; Robert Bucciere,. ?Ableism and body image: conceptualizing how individuals are marginalized. (NAGWS Position Paper)(Report).? Women in Sport & Physical Activity Journal. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). 2010.
[ii] Martin Ginis, K. A., Burke, S. M., & Gauvin, L. (2007). Exercising with others exacerbates the negative effects of mirrored environments on sedentary women?s feeling states. Psychology and Health, 22, 945-962.
Martin Ginis, K. A., Jung, M. E., & Gauvin, L. (2003). To see or not to see: Effects of exercising in mirrored environments on sedentary women?s feeling states and self-efficacy. Health Psychology, 22, 354-361.
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