Will this advert make you exercise more?

He is, janerowena. He knows my self esteem was very damaged in childhood and adulthood. I need to change but rather than nagging me he gently encourages. He knows I can't deal with criticism, either real or perceived, so he walks on eggshells but never gets cross or frustrated with me lol.

Your OH sounds lovely, VQ.

all the 'girls' are under 40!
I would have liked a view of 'older' women doing exercise such as a brisk walk, gardening, yoga, maybe even golf - but then I suppose gentle exercise by oldies is not sport

I don't see the problem. Maybe the adverts are aimed at women like me. I was brought up to believe that fat people couldn't do/wear things that slim people could. Big bums don't belong in trousers or on bikes.

Then there was school PE teachers. One, who referred to herself as The Witch, used to humiliate me every lesson for being fat. One of the things she used to say was that I sweated more than normal girls and it was disgusting ergo I was disgusting. She would also push me until I was beyond breathless and actually suffering then tell me again that it was all my fault for being fat.

So I spent my adult life trying to hide the shame of my fatness and avoiding anything that would make me breathless or break out in a sweat. I knew I should exercise but I just couldn't because exercise was only for slim people who looked good in lycra or swimming costumes and didn't sweat.

DH convinced me that I could wear trousers and exercise. The first few times I tried not to sweat (not easy lol) and he couldn't understand what was wrong. Finally I told him about the PE teacher. He totally understood and we took it gently as he gradually persuaded me that sweating is a sign that your body is working. He was one of those kids I envied so much at school. The one who was really good at sport and never picked on by the PE teacher. He went on to be a PTI in the army. I doubt he was a gentle when training the squaddies as he is with me

Quite!

Any grandparent who spends an 8-hour day looking after a lively two-year-old probably gets more than enough exercise. Not to mention demonstrating how to do cartwheels to older children, playing football and piggy-in-the-middle, taking them swimming and running about getting meals, snacks and drinks as if one is running a café.

I've cleaned the inside of one window today. That'll do for one day.

'Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox.' Yeah...

They're all very young.

Obviously not meant for us. (So I shall go to bed without doing the half hour I intended to do on my exercise bike)

It's the words they choose that make me cringe. I find it very offputting.

Teetime, if you have a Decathlon near you, you can find very good value running shoes and a guarantee that you can try them and bring them back if they don't suit.

jane I didn't have time to read right to the end of the article. I do agree that the focus on women's bodies is offensive but of course, it reflects the way women are viewed. On the Woman's Hour programme I mentioned, one woman who described herself as tough and professional related an anecdote about being out running and being verbally abused by a man and she ended up in tears at home and didn't go out running again for two weeks. I suppose that's why the main thrust of the campaign is to encourage women to exercise in order to overcome 'the barrier of judgment'. Isn't that though like trying to make you give up chocolate by talking about chocolate?!

Women who are overweight tend to already feel bad about their bodies, it doesn't help to emphasize wobbly bits in an ad. I'm actually qualified to teach adults to cycle and I teach exercise classes too. I think there are lots of other things to consider - in my experience, many women lack confidence to go out of the door, let alone to join a group of relative strangers and be confronted by being asked take part in activities that may make them feel uncomfortable in body and mind. If they come with a friend and come often enough to realise that they feel better in various ways (brighter, less stressed, slimmer, more flexible, coordinated, making friends), then they'll usually stay. Also, the key thing is that exercise should be enjoyable, it's not good forcing someone into an exercise that just bores them to tears. Jenny Murray is an unabashed couch potato and is always funny when she talks about how it just isn't for her. And who's to say that if she enjoys life, it matters?

Having looked at the actual website though, www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/, I'm grinding my teeth!

You do need proper running shoes if you take up running- plimsolls are not good. I took it up on retirement and shoes make a huge difference- I got mine half price in a sale.

Water off a ducks back for me. I'm sticking to my Pilates and Gymophobics because they suit my body, I enjoy them and they are doing me good - none of them are because of a TV advert

I read the article first, and agreed with the points made. But then I watched the video and I liked it.
It did show women having a good time together and I think it could appeal to young women, maybe more than to us old codgers.
OK, it's not perfect but it's not so bad, I think.

I have juts ask my marathon running DD2 for advice re buying running shoes as I am toying with the idea of starting - she says they are £100 - whatever happened to plimsoles?

Why are all those officially involved so obsessed with getting us involved in Sport. I find all this relentless obsession with Sport and the way they keep constantly going on about it makes the concept of doing Sport profoundly unattractive and off putting.

I lead and have always led an active life. I enjoy going swimming, I walk a lot, garden etc. These are all things I do non-competitively for the pleasure they give me.

One of the outstanding points of the reports in the media today that crun referred to was the gentle relaxed way the academic publishing the research talked about the way people could up their activity. He talked about a brisk walk to or from work, or at lunch time or some other time of the day.

I think more people would be more active if more was said of the pleasures of being active, of taking an interest in the landscape around you, whether urban, suburban or rural. In towns the mundane architecture can be interesting on seeing where 19th century housing ends and inter-wars semis start, looking at architectural detailing on house, what street names tell you about when roads were built. When I worked in Central London I found all sorts of useful little shops and tradesmen when I spent my lunch hours walking round the area where I worked, wandering down side streets and into cul-de-sacs

I am being constructive.

Exercise today is primarily promoted to save the health service money. The benefits to us personally are secondary. But they are still there. So it's ok.

I see you're in sneering mode again jingl. Why don't you make some constructive ctiricism for a change?

Your body is the most important thing.

I always think of myself as a girl. and hopefully always will.

One objection is that it refers to all women as 'girls', and this language in itself will put off a lot of older women.
Another is that rather than identify the health benefits of exercise, the video focusses simply on the women's bodies, reinforcing the idea that women;'s bodies are the only important thing about them.

No, it won't make me excercises more - or wear a bikini!

"The Conversation. Academic rigour. Journalistic flair"

Really?!

doesn't it mean that all women can partake in exercise - including the ones amongst us with wobbly bits?

I doubt if it will actually get more women to exercise, but the idea behind it seems ok.

What could anyone possibly have against it?

Annie the title is 'I jiggle, therefore I am' what does that mean, FFS.

I did find the commentary a little abstruse and perhaps I should have put it in the Feminism forum instead.

The final paragraph is a good summary of the objections:

"It’s disappointing that a campaign to get women more physically active doesn’t focus on how exercise strengthens friendship, reduces the stress of work and care and gives us physical and emotional strength. And we suppose it would be far too much to ask to see a campaign that shows exercise as an opportunity to find an active space outside the cult of body worship and display".