Argues we must stop using this toxic holiday phrase

Fitness Class Comments Spark Debate

In a column for HuffPost, a fitness participant argues that instructors should stop telling gym-goers to work off Halloween candy or holiday treats. The essay, also carried on Yahoo News, details how a morning workout instructor shouted into a microphone to work off the previous day’s treats just hours after the holiday ended.

The nonchalant phrase creates a problematic fitness mentality, the author writes, by framing exercise as punishment rather than a health benefit. Recent research shows that regular exercise improves longevity even more than focusing on weight loss, while also alleviating anxiety and depression symptoms, enhancing creativity, and helping sleep quality.

Exercise Benefits Versus Calorie Burning

Emmie Keefe, a Boston-based nutritionist, told HuffPost that calorie-based motivation during fitness classes always backfires.

“We should never exercise for the sake of burning calories. … We should exercise for cardiovascular health, for mental health, for emotional health,” Keefe said. “There are so many reasons to exercise. Burning calories shouldn’t be one of them.”

Keefe added that trying to count calories in and out through food and exercise involves mental gymnastics that are neither realistic nor helpful. Regular exercise helps build morning productivity and motivation, she noted, but a workout class cannot immediately burn off recently consumed food.

The Danger of Moralizing Holiday Food

Alyssa Royse, owner of Rocket Community Fitness in Seattle, told HuffPost that treating holiday foods as something to earn or undo is dangerous.

“It links us to this idea that we have to earn the right to eat and have to earn the right to have pleasure,” Royse said. “By virtue of being alive, you are allowed both.”

Moralizing food triggers dangerous thought patterns and eating disorders, Royse continued. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, eating disorders can lead to major long-term health complications like heart damage, hair growth issues, brain damage, and lethargy. To prevent these negative connections, trainers at Royse’s gym avoid mentioning food entirely and instead focus on experiencing joy.

Listening to Body Cues

Both experts advocate tuning into natural hunger and fullness cues rather than letting outside holiday pressure dictate feelings. Royse recommends drinking water and taking walks for physical comfort rather than as penalties. Keefe enjoys holiday foods while prioritizing vegetables and warns against exhausting the body through extreme exercise reactions.

Questions About Calorie-Focused Workout Motivation

What specific phrase sparked the debate among fitness experts?

An instructor shouted, “Let’s work off all that Halloween candy!” into a microphone during a Monday morning fitness class.

What did Emmie Keefe say about calorie-focused workout motivation?

The Boston-based nutritionist said that people should never exercise for the sake of burning calories, but rather for cardiovascular, mental, and emotional health.

What long-term health complications are linked to eating disorders?

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, complications can include heart damage, hair growth issues, brain damage, and lethargy.