Fitness magazines donât help us get fit. Gazing at images of caricatured breasts, buttocks and biceps gives you the impression this is how a fit body should look, that every fit body needs to be shaped in the same vein. Fitness magazines use exactly these images to âinspireâ women to look this way. Yet most of us canât identify with what we are looking at because we donât believe ordinary us could ever be them.Â
[âŠ] What are we teaching our young women who want desperately to believe that they too can be as ripped and shredded? They donât realize what it takes to look so tight. They want to be there and harm themselves to reach an almost unattainable ideal. When will it be acceptable to lift heavy, building confidence and brainpower while strengthening your body, not concerning yourself with how cute your bottom looks in booty shorts?
[âŠ] Being fit in a functional rather than sexual way means you are entirely capable of being powerful no matter what your height, bust size, shoe size or hair color. You are empowered from the depths of your DNA because you did the work, you earned your place and you walk confidently because of it. A functionally fit You welcomes all sizes, shapes and colors, your boobs and butt are incidental. What we really need to build in the gym is a sense of self and what we are capable of.
the-exercist:
!!! But add boys/men
No.
Weâre talking about women right now.Â
Or we can talk about everybody because thereâs an unrealistic expectation for men as well as women
A word to everyone who reblogs posts with responses like the above:
If you actually cared about menâs issues, you wouldnât tack them on as an afterthought to a womanâs conversation: Youâd instead be actively engaging in dialogues that explore the nuances of menâs problems in society. You wouldnât simply wait until a woman is speaking and then shout âYeah, men too!â Youâd talk about these things independently and give men the attention that they deserve as individuals, instead of waiting for a woman to do the work, shouldering her aside and then insisting that men be given a spot on the stage too.Â
If you actually cared about womenâs issues, you wouldnât demand that they give up their space. Youâd recognize that conversations by women and about women are perfectly valid. When a woman is talking about her personal experiences and the way social pressures have affected her life, you wouldnât allow her to be interrupted or derailed. You wouldnât actively talk over her or steal away attention, focusing on issues that are outside of her point, until the conversation drifts so far away that you arenât even discussing women anymore.Â
So both now and in the future, my answer here is going to remain the same: Can we talk about everyone?
No.
Weâre still talking about women right now.Â
