This Gym Ad Reminds Us What Exercise Should Be About

Based on ads for fitness programs, you'd think only thin people exercised — and that only thin people were healthy. As we've said before, that's not true. Health and fitness come in all shapes and sizes, and thankfully, a new Blink Fitness campaign called "Every Body Happy" reflects that. Instead of hiring models, the gym used 16 of its real members in the ad, Self reports. It vetted over 2,000 applicants via Instagram using celebrity judges including Orange Is the New Black's Dascha Polanco. "We want to redefine the aspirational image of 'fit' to be about feeling confident in your own skin," Blink's VP of Marketing Ellen Roggemann said in a press release. "Through this new campaign, consumers will learn about someone like Celestino, who regained the ability to walk again at Blink or Amy, a working mother of three, who maintains her health — and sanity — by making time for fitness." One video shows the models telling their stories.

In another, they all dance joyfully, reminding us of the exuberance, energy, and self-love that exercise brings us at its best.