The top 5 marketing tactics that are ruining women’s relationship with fitness (and our mindsets!)

And how KUMA is doing things differently

The women’s fitness industry is broken and it’s causing damage to our relationship with fitness and nutrition.

We are throwing away the standards of fitness. We are rejecting the standards of beauty. We are redefining what it means to be fit and our journey to get there. KUMA is a culture of women who support and inspire each other to find health, happiness, and connection in their lives.

Women face so much guilt and shame because they think they don’t have a perfect body, or they can’t seem to stick to a workout routine. We are misguided into believing we need fitness to achieve a look and when we can’t get there, because life gets in the way, we just feel terrible about ourselves.

It’s not our fault! Here are the top 5 marketing tactics that are being used on you:

  1. Using photos of women with unattainable bodies or just one type of body
  2. Implying our problems with sneaky words like “diet”, “shrink”, “lose”, “tone”, “sculpt”, “calories”, “detox”, “fast” etc
  3. Quick weight-loss challenges that encourage cycles of ups and downs (with weight loss and mindset)
  4. Inciting competition with other women and encouraging comparison
  5. Encouraging women to sign up by shaming them or guilting them and sometimes with negative financial consequences

Women are moms, wives, daughters, partners, best friends, teachers, neighbors and statistics show, we will put their needs before our own. 

We are giving women permission to take time for themselves. Kicking and punching a bag is the best way to dedicate time for yourself for fitness and mental strength and balance!

“The results are undeniable — I am way less stressed and miraculously not tired all the time. I’ve developed so much physical and mental strength since I joined KUMA and it shows in every aspect of my life.” – Emily F.

And we believe joining a new gym doesn’t have to be so intimidating. We have structured our studio and our programs to ensure every woman feels welcome and comfortable when they start. 

Our culture is adopted by everyone who belongs to our community and that includes the owner, our coaches, the members, and anyone who is a part of our growing women’s fitness community. 

“Whether you are a seasoned athlete or just starting to exercise, young or old, fit or flabby, if you want to get a good workout and improve your physical and mental health, KUMA is the place for you.” – Jennifer M.

We are driven to create a change in women’s relationship with fitness and all other aspects of their lives. They leave feeling strong and confident and ready to take on the world! Our industry should start leading with that in their marketing!

Written By
Coach Stacy

Coach Stacy

Stacy Kim, the founder of KUMA Fit (a women’s kickboxing & fitness studio in Saco, Maine) and Stacy Kim Coaching, has dedicated her life to teaching. She has taught over 10,000 classes and has trained in martial arts and fitness for over 15 years. Today, her mission is to redefine what fitness means for women, to stop objectifying the body, and focus on moving to feel strong.

Get our monthly newsletter

Stay up to date with KUMA news/events and learn more about body-neutral movement.