The Cerulean Effect: Fitness, Fashion, and Miranda's Lesson

At my partner’s insistence I watched The Devil Wears Prada for the first time, and Miranda’s blue sweater scene caught me off guard. It annoyed me, disarmed me, made me rethink every trend I’ve mocked in fitness. So here’s my warm Alan Shore admission: I’m a Priestly groupie now — and here’s where that lesson lands. Just like that cerulean blue, Paragon Studio, PENT, Technogym, Cycling Bears, LuxusFit, Manduka, Liforme, even Lululemon — they all use the same exclusivity trickle that filters into every weight rack and yoga mat we pretend to choose freely.

If you think this is new, revisit the Peloton saga. Not the B2B subscription service clinging to corporate wellness contracts of today but that bike, staged alone on a cedar deck, in a minimalist Zen garden, or poised before a floor-to-ceiling skyline view. The sale was never spin class. It was the image of success, perched right there between your succulents and your self-worth.

Today’s “bespoke fitness construction” follows that same script. Boutique boxing gloves with the price tag of a designer handbag. Dumbbells that cost more than a used car but look better than any furniture piece they share space with. Yoga blocks that double as décor, crafted for the backdrop of your next wellness reel.

Of course, we scoff   it’s what we do when something feels out of reach. But watch how quickly the luxury fades into the mainstream: leather-wrapped weight benches swapped for pleather knockoffs at big-box retailers. Handcrafted wooden racks reimagined in veneered MDF at half the cost. The same “Zen garden” aesthetic stuffed into discount warehouse aisles under the comforting label of “inspired by.”

Peloton clones are still stacked in the corner of your local Costco   no cedar deck, no bonsai, but the same pitch: You too can have the high-end look… on a payment plan.

Mock it now. Call it ludicrous, performative, a folly of the rich. But when the second or third series lands within reach  when that trickle-down hits the middle-market catalogues  we applaud ourselves for “not chasing trends” while posting #homegym reveals on social feeds lit by the same design cues that began on the penthouse cedar deck.

Luxury gym equipment doesn’t promise a new way to train. It promises to embed that training inside an aspirational lifestyle  one that looks better than it sweats. If your trainers and your gym owners see this coming, they see you. Not just your reps and sets, but your desire for beauty and belonging alongside the brute utility of iron.

Recognize it for what it is. A machine that works best when you don’t notice the gears turning.

You think this has nothing to do with you?
Look around. It already does.

Fitness, Capitalism, and the Privilege Divide: A Delicate Balance

Ah, welcome. In ancient Norse tradition, they’d call this a thing, a gathering of minds and power, leading us today to confront an inconvenient truth of fitness. Fitness is  the epitome of modern aspirations: the pursuit of health, wellness, and beauty in a world that often feels out of reach to many. But beneath the glittering gym memberships, shiny personal trainers, and sleek athletic apparel, there's a rather inconvenient truth we often fail to acknowledge: fitness, in this capitalist society, has become a luxury, a privilege reserved for those fortunate enough to afford it. Now, we’ve heard the usual refrain: “You don’t need expensive equipment or fancy gyms to stay fit, just willpower and a good pair of shoes!” True, in theory. But, Our modern world doesn’t merely reward discipline; it rewards access. And access whether it’s to a pristine gym or premium workout supplements too often depends on your pocketbook and don't worry we will talk about marketing messages here in a minute.

So, let's not kid ourselves. We’ve all heard the stories the promises of achieving your best body in 30 days or transforming your life with a simple app. The marketing machine churns out catchy slogans that sound like they’ve come from the halls of Madison Avenue, but the reality? It’s far more complicated, far less inclusive. The fitness industry, like so many others, thrives in a capitalist environment that plays on the one truth we all know too well: in this world, those with money often have the best access. And let’s face it, fitness has become one of those access points where wealth equals wellness.

You see, at the heart of the issue is the uncomfortable intersection between capitalism and health. Fitness, once a basic human pursuit to stay active, has been commodified, and today, it’s marketed to the affluent. The high-end gym memberships, the fancy supplements, the top-of-the-line equipment, the personal trainers that charge as much as a down payment on a car these are all targeted at a demographic that can afford them. And what of the rest of the population? The ones who can’t afford $150 for a single training session or the high-priced yoga class? Well, they’re often left to deal with the fallout of this divided society where fitness becomes a matter of privilege.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're running a business. You've got overhead costs to cover, employees to pay, rent to meet, and taxes to file. You’re part of a system that demands you make a profit. If you charge less, you can’t afford the quality equipment, the personalized service, or the amenities that attract the higher-paying clients. Those clients, the ones who can drop $200 a month on a membership, are the ones who subsidize the less affluent. And if you don’t have those higher-paying clients? You don’t stay in business. Simple. But it’s the truth we’re all dancing around fitness isn’t just a product; it’s a luxury that’s been packaged, sold, and marketed in a way that leaves a large portion of society standing at the door without an invitation.

In a perfect world, fitness would be about equality, wouldn’t it? It would be about ensuring that anyone, no matter their income, could access the tools they need to live a healthy, active life. But we don't live in a perfect world. We live in a world where access to basic services healthcare, education, and yes, fitness often depends on how much money you have. Capitalism has woven itself into the fabric of our society in such a way that fitness has become just another commodity for those who can afford it, leaving the rest to scramble for scraps.

This isn’t just about a gym membership. It’s about an entire system that commodifies well-being, where those with financial privilege dictate the terms of what’s healthy and desirable, and those without it are left to either go without or settle for subpar alternatives. As business owners, we’re caught in the middle, having to balance the demands of profit with the reality that our pricing often excludes those who need fitness the most. It's a tough sell. It’s hard to reconcile the need for sustainability with the ethical implications of serving an audience that’s largely affluent while not leaving the rest behind.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: marketing. The fitness industry doesn’t just sell services it sells a lifestyle, a version of yourself that’s better, faster, stronger, and often… thinner. So, let’s be honest here, it’s not just about fitness anymore it’s about aesthetics. The marketing machine has cleverly intertwined the concept of fitness with an image of beauty that only a select few can ever truly attain. And who is that select few? The ones who can afford the aesthetics of the gym the fancy gear, the exclusive memberships, and, of course, the personal trainers who charge $100 an hour.

And all the while, those who don’t have that disposable income who are just trying to make it through another month are left to wonder why fitness and there for potentially health itself has become such a luxury. Why is it priced out of their reach? Why is fitness, a simple human need, so deeply entangled in an economic system that says, “If you can’t pay for it, you don’t deserve it.” This isn’t just about profits; this is about an entire system that has structured wellness in a way that excludes those who need it the most.

But, let’s not get lost in the doom and gloom here. Business owners, like yourself, are stuck in a system, yes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t acknowledge the divide. Recognize that there’s a larger conversation happening here, one that goes beyond marketing strategies and profit margins. Fitness, like all industries, is shaped by capitalism, but that doesn’t mean it can’t evolve. It doesn’t mean the conversation has to stop at profit it can expand to accessibility, to inclusivity, to a world where fitness isn’t a privilege, but a right.

You, as a business owner, are part of the conversation. And while you're not in charge of the whole system, the choices you make can either reinforce this divide or slowly begin to chip away at it. At the end of the day, fitness shouldn’t be determined by wealth it should be about the desire and access to improve oneself. And in that, perhaps, lies the possibility to Make Life More