No Pain No Gain

This critical reflection examines how a fitness centre can be a place of self surveillance and can be observed in relation to theories such as the risk society (Beck, 1992), information/knowledge society (Bell, 1999), technology (Lupton, 2012) and surveillance (Foucault, 1980). The theories will be examined through diary entries of my life as a gym member. The overall aim of this critical reflection will be to see whether aspects of these theories could be applied to the fitness centre as an institution in which power and knowledge relations encourage the maintenance of body ideals.