The Christmas advert silly season is upon us, and with it, the usual suspects are vying for our attention and applause at their nativity creativity.

But one relatively new entry to this marketplace appears to have been given the cold shoulder, with their advert accused of being sexist, un-representative, and even dystopian. Peloton, the company behind a home-based spin bike concept, created an advert in which a man gives a woman their product as a Christmas gift, and she subsequently goes on to claim after using it that she “…didn’t realise how much this would change me.”

The sexism accusation has arisen because the man is giving the gift to a woman, thereby implying she needs to get fit. The un-representative accusation is suggested because the women already looks fit and healthy at the start and changes very little over the implied ‘year’ of use. And the dystopian accusation is implied by the fact that the advert is played out by an attractive woman living a luxurious life in what appears to be some ultra-modern mansion.

At the heart of the issue is whether it is acceptable to give a health and fitness-related product as a Christmas gift (or a gift at any other time too). We think nothing of giving ‘experience’ gifts such as fast car driving, helicopter rides, indoor flying in wind tunnels, and even spa and beauty days. Yes, spa and beauty days! If the gift of an exercise bike is sexist because it implies the recipient needs to get fit and lose weight, then what on earth are we implying by giving a beauty day!

At Choices, we take our responsibility as a health and fitness provider very seriously. Therefore, just giving a membership package to somebody might not be the best approach, especially if they are not regular gym-goers, or haven’t been for a while. A much better option is to give personal training sessions with one of our qualified instructors. That way the recipient can be assessed before they start a workout program, and guided through the whole experience too (let’s face it, you would give a helicopter experience day to someone and expect them to just get in it and fly it themselves without a trained pilot!).

The personal training approach also gives the recipient some encouragement too. It can be daunting just turning up at a gym and finding your own way around. And as mentioned it can be dangerous too. Knowing you will be met at the ‘door’ and guided through the session is likely to result in a higher take-up rate for this type of gift. And after all, that is what giving this type of gift is all about. You want them to use it and enjoy the experience.

If you are stuck for a Christmas gift for a family member or friend, then please give us a call or drop in one of our clubs to discuss the options for personal training session gifts. We can build something specifically for your needs and introduce you to our personal trainers so you know who your loved one will be working with.