Your POV: Should filming at the gym be banned?
Written by NCS…POV by you…
5 min read
Welcome to Your POV, a brand new blog series where we invite you to share your thoughts and opinions on different conversations. From hot topics all over social media to things impacting you, your community, and the wider worlds. We want to know how you feel!
For our first edition, we’re talking about gyms. Did you know that 80% of all gym goers currently are Gen-Z and Millennials? You guys clearly know what’s up when it comes to exercise, and because of social media, you aren’t afraid to film yourselves doing it either. But that’s where the conversations get sticky.
So we asked the question:
Should Filming At The Gym Be Banned?
With the rise of ‘fit-fluencers’, and us being more attached to our phones than ever, it’s almost impossible to scroll through Instagram or TikTok without seeing someone filming at the gym giving their Top Ten Tips To Tone Your Arms, or Five Moves For A Flatter Stomach, or Three Ways To Make The Most Of Your Gym Sesh. It’s almost like tripods, mini mics, and ring lights, nestled between weights and machines, are part of a normal gym routine.
But should this be the norm? It was a close poll on @NCS Insta Stories!
Why Are peope Filming At The Gym Anyway?
It feels fairly natural these days to walk down the street, go out to eat, or even sit in class at school and see someone live streaming, sending Snaps, or planning their next Reel. In this day and age, every aspect of everyone’s lives is a bit of a free for all and will live online forever. So why would a gym be any different?
For some people, they want to film themselves to see what they're doing right, and where they can improve their technique. For others, it’s about seeing progress in personal bests. Some go to the gym and make videos as an actual job, helping people all over the world. And for others, sure, it’s just about getting clout.
So Why Is Filming At The Gym a Problem?
There are plenty of heated discussions on all social platforms at the moment about specific videos showing those filming their sets getting annoyed with ‘regular’ gym goers for ‘getting in the way of the shot’.
Lots of people believe that there is no reason to get annoyed as gyms are public spaces – not filming studios – filled mostly with so-called ‘regular’ people, going there to do ‘regular’ exercise, and naturally that means they’ll be walking around to find equipment/machines.
Whereas others believe everyone should make the effort to be more conscious, and it’s simply rude to get in the way when you can clearly see cameras set up. That’s exactly how Olly (17) felt, who told us:
“The only reason filming in gyms is wrong is if someone is becoming hostile or filming others in a sexual nature. Otherwise it's a great way to film yourself and technique. Filming shouldn't be banned in the gym, instead everyone should be more aware of the environment.”
Is the gym really somewhere you have to think of others?
For a lot of people, going to the gym is their own private time. It’s a space to look after their mental health as well as their physical health. It’s a space where they might feel vulnerable. It’s a space to focus. It’s a space to try and better themselves. And definitely not a space where they want to get told off by someone they didn’t realise was filming, or in some cases, get laughed at.
Recently, over in America, Dani Mathers, a former model, was ordered to complete community service after filming - and laughing at - another woman in the gym changing rooms.
Megan (20) had strong opinions on this topic, saying that she “would hate to be caught in the back of someone's video. As someone pretty insecure, it is honestly my worst nightmare to be recorded and posted online when I'm at the gym.”
And that’s the thing, right? If you’re going to the gym solely to show up for yourself, and you already feel insecure about it, having the looming thought of being in someone else’s video background isn’t exactly going to help your confidence! And we all know that doing exercise is very closely linked to having positive mental health, but if the gym then becomes a place to hide rather than thrive, what are you supposed to do?
A New Way to Work Out?
Maybe it’s not about changing your mindset, but changing how gyms are set up. It’s an interesting concept, and one that two different Katie’s (both 17) had opinions on.
“Personally, I believe there should be places within a gym for those who want to record whatever they are doing. It's not fair to everyone else around them to fear being recorded.” said Katie Number One.
Which was echoed by Katie Number Two, who said:
“There's an easy solution for this. Most gyms have more than one set of gym equipment. Why don't they just split them into two separate areas. One where it's okay to record and one where it's not okay to record. Then everyone's happy!”
Making It Work For Everyone…
It seems The Katie’s aren’t the only ones trying to come up with solutions that work for everyone. Some gyms have started cracking down altogether, and ban filming in gyms.
Whereas others have put in rules for people who choose to film. Check out these gym etiquette tips.
From you guys, it seems the main consensus simply comes down to respect.
Megan (20) said, “You should ask those around you if it's okay for you to film and if they mind being in the shot. And if they say no, you don't film them. It's simple. You can find another place in the gym to record your workout.”
Pippa (16) agreed, saying filming should only be allowed “if you are filming your own personal set, and if anyone asks you to make sure they're not in your video, you show them and reassure them they’re not.”
And finally, Connie (17) said she can see why filming “would affect other people, so giving everyone a heads up is probably the best thing to do morally.”
And that’s Your POV, round one, done! Thank you so much to those who contributed, and if you’ve still got thoughts or opinions, hit us up on Insta at @NCS. And keep your eyes peeled for our next hot topic!