The Gentle Trap

The woman in the advertisement is smiling. She sits in a chair in her living room, watching a fitness instructor on television. She lifts one knee while he lifts his. The room is sunny. Her shoes look comfortable, and she appears pleased to be moving. I hope the workout is good for her. There is no reason to pity her or make fun of the chair. My concern begins with the sales story around the scene. The page offers older adults more than 300 chair workouts through a recurring membership. It also presents a narrow idea of what later life can look like.