Authors: Bradley J. Cardinal1, Kim A. Rogers1, Brian Kuo1, Rosalee L. Locklear1, Katelyn E. Comfort1, and Marita K. Cardinal2 
 
 Affiliations: 1Department of Exercise and Sport Science Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 2Division of Health and Physical Education, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR. 
 
 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2014-0157 
 
 Abstract 
 
 Guided by critical discourse analysis, commercially available exercise DVDs are described in terms of the instructor and model characteristics, and the motivational content being verbally conveyed by the instructors on the DVDs. Ten commercially available, contemporary, single instructor lead exercise DVDs were obtained from multiple sources. Instructor and model characteristics, emergent relationship patterns, and the motivational content of the primary instructor were analyzed. Most instructors and models were female, Caucasian, slim, and dressed in revealing attire. Motivational statements comprised 26.9% (SD = 11.31) of the transcripts. One in seven motivational statements were negative. With body capital clearly on display and some of the motivational language being suspect in terms of building potential participants’ psychological capital, the value of commercial exercise DVDs is brought into question. 
 
 Key words: exercise leadership, group exercise, home-based, motivational climate, physical activity, social physique anxiety ||||| CORVALLIS, Ore. – Using fitness DVDs to work out at home may seem like a good way to get started on new exercise goals this year, but those DVDs may also include negative imagery and demotivating language. 
 
 A study of 10 popular commercial exercise DVDs showed that the imagery in the fitness videos may be perpetuating and reinforcing hyper-sexualized and unrealistic body images, said Brad Cardinal, a kinesiology professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University. 
 
 In addition, researchers found that one in every seven motivational statements on the DVDs was actually a demotivating statement that could reduce the effectiveness of the workout, diminish the user’s hope and potentially cause psychological harm, said Cardinal, the lead author of the study. 
 
 “These findings raise concerns about the value of exercise DVDs in helping people develop and commit to a workout program,” said Cardinal, who is a national expert on the benefits of physical activity. “There are a lot of exaggerated claims through the imagery and language of ‘do this and you’ll look like me.’ ” 
 
 The findings are being published in the latest issue of the Sociology of Sport Journal. Co-authors of the study are: OSU graduate students Kim A. Rogers, Brian Kuo, Rosalee L. Locklear and Katelyn E. Comfort; and Professor Marita K. Cardinal of Western Oregon University. 
 
 Fitness DVDs are a $250 million a year industry but there is no scientific evidence about their safety and effectiveness or the accuracy of the information contained in them, and the industry is largely unregulated, Cardinal said. 
 
 For the study, the researchers reviewed 10 popular, instructor-led fitness DVDs, evaluating both the imagery used in the videos as well as the motivational language used by the instructors. The goal was to better understand the visual and auditory messaging and how it might affect users. 
 
 Researchers found that most of the instructors and models were slim, female and white, and they typically wore revealing attire. That sends a subtle message about what people who are fit should look like, Cardinal said. This perpetuates objectification of the female body in particular and emphasizes physical appearance as opposed to improved health, he said. 
 
 The researchers also found that a quarter of the language used by instructors was motivational, but one of every seven motivational statements was considered negative. Negative statements included phrases such as “say hello to your sexy six-pack,” “you better be sweating,” and “you should be dying right now.” 
 
 Those kinds of phrases focus on outcomes, encourage social comparison, and don’t take into account individual differences in health or fitness, Cardinal said. “Tough love” phrases and strategies can also have a harmful effect because they can lead to injuries or other adverse health outcomes, he said. 
 
 Such messages could be particularly harmful to users who are turning to exercise DVDs to start a new fitness routine or who are uncomfortable in a gym or fitness class setting, Cardinal said. The exercise videos were marketed to novice exercisers while the movement skills tended to be designed for intermediate or advanced levels of fitness, and the instructors’ verbal messages sometimes taunted observers to keep up. 
 
 “You’re inviting into your home these images and messages that could make you feel bad about yourself, and ultimately hinder your efforts to improve your health,” he said. “If the experience is not positive, the likelihood the person is going to continue with an exercise program diminishes.” 
 
 Cardinal urged potential fitness DVD consumers to be mindful of the potential pitfalls of the product when selecting and using exercise videos. 
 
 “Buyers should beware when making these purchases,” he said. “Remember that we all have different body shapes and styles, and our bodies may respond differently to the exercises being shown. Don’t expect to get the same results as what you see on the screen or compare yourself to others.” 
 
 The findings indicate that there is a need to further study commercial fitness DVDs, Cardinal said. Along with the language and imagery used in the videos, researchers should consider studying the effectiveness and safety of the types of exercises and techniques used, he said. In addition, many of the instructors appear to have little or no credentials in fitness instruction, he said. 
 
 “We don’t think the videos are very psychologically safe,” Cardinal said. “There are also questions about some of the exercises, which could lead to injuries and pose a real danger to the user.”
– Exercise DVDs are a mostly unregulated industry, and their safety and accuracy haven't been scientifically proven—yet their promises of chiseled, bronzed bodies have us forking over $250 million for them every year. Not only do we not know whether they work, researchers at Oregon State University are going so far as to report that they could be both physically and psychologically unsafe. To arrive at that conclusion they reviewed 10 popular DVDs, and they write in the Sociology of Sport Journal that 26.9% of the words spoken during the fitness videos were motivational statements. Except one in seven of those so-called motivating statements were in fact "negative" in their view—i.e., "You should be dying right now" or "you better be sweating." Further, "there are also questions about some of the exercises, which could lead to injuries and pose a real danger to the user," says researcher Brad Cardinal. The findings "don't surprise me at all," certified personal trainer Doug Sklar, who founded the PhilanthroFIT studio in New York, tells Yahoo Health, and he sums up the problem: Those negative statements reinforce the idea that exercise is torture. For exercise pros, that can motivate; for newbies, it can have them heading for the hills. The key is making sure those new to working out "find it to be a positive experience that they are more likely to continue with," says Sklar. The researchers won't reveal which 10 videos they reviewed, but say those featuring certified trainers may have a leg up on those led by someone who just has a good body. (Check out the link between exercise and alcohol.)