Hey everyone! Hope all is well, thanks for joining me. Last week I did a post about the Body Positivity Movement that touched on the strengths and common criticisms of the movement. This week I want to keep the momentum rolling and talk about another societal issue relevant to how we perceive and treat our bodies—fitness culture. More specifically I want to touch on the things that bother me or don’t sit right with me about gym culture. And then I want to give some advice on how to make fitness work for you and how to avoid some of the toxic energy that can surround the fitness world.
Now, this post is not solely a bash on modern “gym culture”. I love the gym, I love to workout. Fitness is a huge part of my life and my lifestyle. However, as with anything central to our lives, we can manage to find things about it that really fucking peeve us. That’s just the way it goes when something becomes so deeply ingrained into our lives, you start to notice some shit that pisses you off. And that’s just what I’m going to write about today. So here it is—
The things that bother me about “fitness culture”:
Equating health with only specific body types:
This bothers me because fitness is subjective to the individual and has very little to do with our appearance. Those with lean-muscular body types are not the only people that are “healthy”. We can never truly gauge the health of someone by their outward appearance. Even those who are muscular, lean, or slim may have taken extreme and unhealthy measures to get that body. What’s healthy about that? I was at my least healthiest, both mentally, emotionally, and physically, when I was at my lowest weight. When I had the slimmest body. My energy was low, I was moody, and I hated my life. Everyone has this idea that once they “get thin” their life will be this amazing thing, but that’s far from reality. Of course, there were good things—compliments about my body, I was treated more kindly by certain people, and I liked the external validation that came with being small. However what good is a few compliments about your legs from a stranger when you hated your fucking life and could only ever think about food. That my friends, is not healthy.
While many people who “look fit”, or have lean bodies may be healthy, there’s just no way to know. That’s why we should never equate health with certain body types. Further, our body shape and structure are largely dependent on genetics. Sometimes the way our body looks isn’t one hundred percent under our control. Of course, to a certain extent, it is but we should not be chasing a certain ideal body in the name of “health”. Because that shit is not healthy.
Equating health with weight loss:
Weight loss isn’t an inherently good or bad thing. It largely depends on the individual, their needs, and the way their body works. While weight loss could be good for one person it may be extremely unhealthy for another. Our weight also fluctuates throughout life depending on both internal and external factors. The message that fitness is about weight loss and losing weight is always the “healthy” thing to do simply isn’t true. I think fitness culture can push the message that those who are losing weight fast are “killing it,” “working hard” or are “on the right track”. The truth is though people who aren’t losing weight or don’t want to lose weight can also be working hard and on the right track. Fitness is largely individual and habits that some people pursue may not be what everyone needs or wants. Weight loss can be good for some people with the right intentions and a healthy mindset, but weight loss in and of itself does not equal health.
Obsession with “self-improvement”:
Self-improvement doesn’t always need to be a priority. While yes, we should always aim to be the best versions of ourselves, sometimes we just need a break or the mental energy to place our attention elsewhere. The idea that we must always chase a fitness or other life goal is a little exhausting. Sometimes we need time to just be. I feel that there’s an appropriate balance and that’ll look different for everyone. For me, I love setting goals for myself and the feelings of accomplishment that come with achieving them. But the journey to get there is not quick and it’s not easy. And that’s why we need that time to take a step back and just focus on what’s in front of us. We all know life can be overwhelming at times and we should be more willing to give ourselves grace.
The idea that tracking workouts, weight loss, calories, and other metrics is the path to health:
While these habits alone aren’t always a bad thing, it is certainly possible to live a healthy lifestyle without them. I understand that when you’re following a specific training plan or have physical goals, tracking workouts can be beneficial and keep you accountable, however, if it’s more of an obsession than a tool to help you meet your goals, it’s not healthy. Similarly tracking calories, macros, and weight loss are not always tools that will push you in the right direction. Sometimes these things can actually sabotage the so-called “health” we’re all after. Health isn’t a destination, but rather a way of life. So if these are things that you don’t want to do in the long term or are only being used for a little bit to drop weight fast, I’d say it’s not worth your time. I’d argue that weighing yourself every day, tracking every single thing you eat, and taking note of every single workout you do or don’t complete is rather the opposite of healthy. And it bothers me that there are fitness “influencers” or “experts” who say you must do these things to be healthy. Because it’s just not true.
The intense anxiety or obsession that can come with focusing too much on fitness and health:
When we place too much emphasis on fitness and physical health, we can start to feel anxious or beat ourselves up when we miss a workout or have a “bad” day of eating. I do think gym culture can get a little obsessive. For example, obsessing about calories, macronutrients, a strict workout routine or plan, the ingredients in what you eat, or the way your body looks can be common in fitness culture. For some of us, it can be hard to find the line between discipline and obsession. Between wanting to take care of yourself and wanting to shrink yourself. Between loving fitness and hating your body. It’s hard to gauge when things hit a tipping point and become borderline unhealthy, obsessive, or disordered. It’s even harder to see it in our own lives. For me, I used to gaslight myself into thinking my behaviors were healthy. That working out twice a day, counting every calorie I consumed, and never going out were all good for my health. The truth is obsession, no matter what it is—is always unhealthy. So be honest with yourself and just find the balance.
The body dissatisfaction and comparison:
I don’t think the gym culture or community intends to make anyone feel bad about themselves or their bodies. It’s quite the opposite. However, whether it’s intended or not, it happens and I want to talk about it. Whether it be the girls we see in the gym or “fitfluencers” online, it can be easy to fall into the comparison trap. Comparing our bodies, life circumstances, meals, workout routines, and whatever else to the people we see online or in real life. The truth is though that we only see a glimpse of their lives. A curated and oftentimes edited version of someone else’s world. To compare ourselves to that just isn’t fair, and we don’t deserve that. And being dissatisfied with your body won’t make you any fitter or any healthier. So if fitness really is in the name of health you just need to do today what will set you on the right path without worrying about what everyone else’s meals, workouts, and bodies look like. Health looks different for all of us, remember that.
How it can cause us to neglect other areas of our lives:
When fitness becomes obsessive, a lot of other things fall by the wayside. Nothing else really matters except for getting your body to look a certain way, getting in all your workouts for the week, and “eating clean” every day. Relationships, work, having fun, education, leisure, contentment, passion, and peace are often neglected when we only have one goal in mind. And maybe you’re thinking “What is this bitch talking about, I don’t think anyone’s been that obsessive about fitness before”. Yes, they have. Yes, they fucking have. And unfortunately, I think a lot of people still are. And I can speak on this because I’ve been there. When I became too immersed in fitness culture and obsessive about my physical health, weight, and the food I was eating I had no social life, my relationships were distant, I was failing classes, and was extremely depressed. I was agitated and rude, anxious, self-absorbed, and unhappy. The way fitness culture can easily lead us to those behaviors, obsessions, and feelings bothers me and isn’t talked about enough.
The excess amount of masculine energy:
I’m going to sound like a mad hater here, but I know some people are gonna pick up what I’m putting down. Sometimes there are just way too many men in the gym. Or the ratio is absolutely wack. Like twelve gym-esque men and two women. I’m not someone who necessarily minds the gym being busy, but when there are too many weird people crawling around, that’s when I get annoyed. Like, what’s one good reason a man should be walking around barefoot in leggings at 4 pm on a Wednesday? Sometimes I wonder how we got here. Anyway, the testosterone levels should never reach the point where I can hear grunts and slammed weights with my noise-canceling Beats on. If I wanted to have a sausage party I’d go to the butcher shop. Not the fucking gym. This all sounds so mean. My sincerest apologies.
People trying to misguide others to sell a service:
I don’t think this is ever something the internet will be able to escape from. I see it on TikTok more than anything with that stupid fucking TikTok shop bullshit. People pretending to be dietitians or fitness professionals selling “nature’s ozempic” in a video plastered with “creator earns commission”. And the sad truth is that a lot of misinformed people with good intentions buy this shit because they are looking for a quick fix to lose weight or get healthy. It’s rather unethical in my opinion. You see it with bodybuilders or fitness influencers showing off their bodies to convince people that whatever they’re selling will make others look the same. The posed or edited images we see on social media aren’t a realistic or attainable expectation we should be aiming for. And purchasing a product or service to achieve that will certainly put you on the fast track to blowing your money rather than changing your life. The truth is your habits and everyday routines build the life you want. Not a product from TikTok shop.
The way it’s sometimes portrayed on social media:
Fitness culture is often glamorized on social media, setting a standard for the way fitness or a healthy lifestyle is supposed to look. I think a lot of times we forget that the content we see is edited and oftentimes not exactly transparent. We’re all human and every day isn’t going to look like waking up at 5 or 6 am, going to the gym, eating healthy, and having a productive workday. Sometimes other aspects of life take priority such as socializing, doing work around the house, or just resting. Not every day is perfect and even the gym influencers we see online know this to be true.
No pain no gain mindsets:
I think most people are beyond this now, and it’s become more widely accepted that this mindset is both unnecessary and toxic. Fitness is supposed to enhance your life, make it more enjoyable, benefit you and your needs, and be fun. I always look forward to my workouts. It’s usually one of my favorite parts of the day. You should never be in immense pain, unhappy, or extremely uncomfortable with a workout or how you choose to move your body. You can reap all the benefits exercise has to offer without making your life a living hell. Again, just exercise in the ways you find most enjoyable, and to that I say amen.
The gateway to disordered eating habits:
One thing about fitness culture is that if you’re not well educated on the subject, it can easily be a segway into disordered eating habits, and at the very least, confusion about how to approach food and exercise. There’s a lot of contradicting information on the internet and it’s easy to attach to the first thing you read, believing it as gospel. Demonizing foods or entire food groups in the name of “health” is a load of shit. But unfortunately when this is what people hear or read on the internet, they have no reason to believe it’s harmful. This is how disordered eating habits are developed—misinformation, body comparison, obsession, and black-and-white thinking. I know the fitness industry doesn’t intentionally want this to be a consequence of the culture and habits they promote, yet it happens more often than we know. And it bothers me that some foods are talked about in such negative ways—because all food is fuel, and every food serves a purpose.
How to make fitness work for you:
Now that we’ve touched on the things that bother me about fitness culture, let’s discuss some ways to avoid the toxic energy that surrounds the fitness world.
Look at health with a holistic view:
It took me a long time to learn that health includes more than just diet and exercise. That there are more factors in our wellbeing than just physical health. Health is all-encompassing— it includes physical habits such as eating and exercise, but it also includes our relationships, our purpose, our spirituality, our emotions, our mind, our intellect, and our work. There is so much more to health than fitness culture typically acknowledges and I feel like a holistic view of health should be normalized in mainstream culture. When we truly look at our health from a holistic view, we should never beat ourselves up for anything because we know the importance of listening to our bodies and acknowledge that there is value in the many different ways we choose to spend our time. Want to write, scrapbook, or read instead of going to the gym? Those other activities are still health-enhancing. Want to take a half day at work to go on a weekend trip with friends? Still good for your health. We are dynamic beings and therefore our health is also dynamic. Don’t be fooled into thinking exercise and healthy eating is the only way you can take care of yourself.
Only do what you like:
If you don’t like running, don’t do it. If you don’t like going to the gym, don’t. These are just two examples of what fitness can look like but the options are endless. You can get active by hiking, skiing, biking, walking, dancing, boxing, taking organized fitness classes, and so much more. The same goes for eating- only eat what you like. If you don’t like salad, don’t eat it. If you don’t like grilled chicken, don’t eat it. There is an endless variety of foods that are health-enhancing that you can work into your life. Life is too short for making yourself suffer in the name of health. If you’re dreading it—you probably just shouldn’t do it. Because for me health and fitness are fun, exciting, and empowering. And this is how it should be for everyone.
Focus on benefits rather than results:
It’s okay to have goals related to fitness or physique but that should never be the only reason you workout. Movement is so beneficial for all areas of your life. Focus on the benefits exercise offers you such as increased energy, better sleep, improved mood, reduced stress, boosted self-esteem, and reduced risk of chronic disease. When the focus is on taking care of yourself rather than changing your body, the motivation to exercise is much greater.
Listen to and trust your body:
It’s important to listen to the signals your body gives you indicating it needs rest, movement, food, fun, time to be social, or whatever else it may need. Our bodies are exceptionally intelligent and when we push against it and burn ourselves out, we do more harm than good to our health. There’s a fine line between pushing forward and achieving goals in fitness to prove to yourself you’re capable and strong, and blatantly ignoring physical signs of pain that serve as a signal your body needs rest. Get good at listening to your body and balancing movement, rest, work, and fun.
Know your why:
The last tip I have to make fitness work for your life rather than against it is to know your why. Why do you want to exercise? To celebrate your body? To practice self-care? For the physical benefits? Or is it just to lose weight? To punish yourself for eating “bad” this weekend? When you have the right reasons for working out or wanting to pursue a fitness-centered lifestyle, fitness becomes fun. It’s no longer this thing you dread or something you “have to do”. Movement and exercise are a privilege and when we see and understand that, it no longer becomes a chore. Just a part of the day we look forward to and love.
Closing:
Thank you guys so much for reading this week’s post about my biggest quarrels with fitness culture. Feel free to agree, disagree, or anything in between. However, I think I made some solid points. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love fitness. I don’t want anyone to think I’m just here to dog on gym culture or “fit people”. I’m not. I just wanted to have a conversation. To address the things I have a problem with and give some helpful tips to dismantle those issues and make fitness a positive part of your life. Once again, I hope you enjoyed this read, and I’ll be back next week with something else up my sleeve.
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