Changing the narrative in exercise
Ethical Exercise Lab exists to promote ethics in exercise practice, research and education. Our mission is to strengthen inclusivity, further an understanding of meaningful practice, and challenge potentially harmful messages and methods across the fitness industry.
Our focus is on lived experience, with how people’s relationships with exercise are shaped by power dynamics, personal relationships, social pressures, and external expectations.
The psycho-social model, though widely referenced, is often poorly understood or superficially applied. Through critical engagement with real-world examples, we make this model accessible, practical, and grounded in lived experience.
Learn more about our work and the challenges facing exercise today
How we work
We work with practitioners, educators and organisations across the fitness industry through workshops, talks, research-led publications and consultancy. Our approach is grounded in both professional experience and academic insight, bringing practice and theory together. We aim for everything we produce to be accessible, applicable, and genuinely useful.
Chartered Practitioner (MCIMSPA)Advanced
Andrew Clarkson
Gayle Letherby
BA (Hons) PhD, FAcSS
Meet the founding directors
At the core of EE Lab’s distinctive approach is its strong foundation in both academic theory and professional practice
My identity as a sociologist is central in all I do, yet some of my most favourite projects are those that involve multi-disciplinary and multi-professional collaborations. This includes working with colleagues in health, education, sports science and the arts. My research and writing interests are eclectic and alongside this I have always been fascinated by method/ologies, for what we get (findings and results) means little if we don’t also reflect on what we did. In addition to arguing for this critical engagement with the research and writing process I also advocate for different ways of academic storytelling, including the use of fiction and memoir.
For more on all this see www.gayle-letherby.co.uk
My approach to physical activity and coaching is informed by my academic work in politics and social science, alongside an interest in Eastern philosophy. I place the lived experience of the individual at the centre of practice, approaching fitness as a social and meaningful activity rather than a purely technical one. Drawing on storytelling methodologies, I connect practical training methods with considerations of purpose and personal meaning. While I value the disciplines of physiology, biomechanics, psychology, and programme science, these frameworks only become relevant when they engage with the realities of people’s lives and support consistent, purposeful practice.
Find out more about my work www.foxcoat.uk
We insist that ethical practice in exercise deserves the same attention as performance, form and results.
Personal Trainer | Senior Martial Arts Instructor Foxcoat Studio, Penryn, Cornwall
BSc (Hons) Politics & Human Ecology
Freelance Creative Writing Coach and Workshop Facilitator
Honorary/Visiting Professor of Sociology at Universities Plymouth, Greenwich and Bath