Smash the Wellness Industry

[secretlyevil]

Jun 9, 2019 16:31:26 GMT -5 pugz said:

Jun 9, 2019 15:42:45 GMT -5 rubytue said:

I started swimming last summer for this exact reason. I hate sweating! 

I am a horrible swimmer 😭 but i may try water aerobics with the old folks

Water aerobics is actually a lot of fun.

[secretlyevil]

Whomever posted this originally on FB, I appreciate it. I read it a few days ago and it resonated with me so much. I want to approach eating, etc in a much more positive way. I am completely guilty of the yo yo dieting.

Consumerism is the root of why things get commercialized and bastardized. I am not sure how to counteract that as much as I would like.

[wambam]

The wellness industry is the diet industry, and the diet industry is a function of the patriarchal beauty standard under which women either punish themselves to become smaller or are punished for failing to comply, and the stress of this hurts our health too.

I'm feeling...something about this. I completely agree that whenever a new thing that's "not dieting" comes around (see: wellness, clean eating, etc.), it gets bastardized and sold. However, I personally can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. My mental health is directly impacted by what I eat. Granted, my most debilitating mental health issue is emetophobia, which makes me constantly aware of every sensation in my body. When I eat "whole foods" (whatever that means), I simply worry less about vomimting, which makes my life a lot easier. When I eat a lot of sugar, for example, I feel things in my body that cause me anxiety. I realize that this is probably very specific to me and my set of issues, so I'm trying to distinguish between the wellness industry and actual wellness (which I define as feeling good in my body) and the lines are really blurry.

[litebright]

Jun 9, 2019 20:07:26 GMT -5 pugz said:

it's okay not to love your body, what is important is respecting it. When you respect it you can treat yourself with compassion! Many people never get to the point of loving their body, it's a huge challenge. I don't really love mine but I respect what it has done and is capable of doing, and I know that my value has nothing to do with my body.

The idea of not loving your body, and that being okay while also not fetishizing/detailing how much you hate your body, is the weirdest thing and probably the point that struck me most from that article. The line that "no one is telling men that they need to love their bodies to live full and meaningful lives." And realizing how radically different the messages are that you get as a female: that you ought to love your body just as it is and if you don't, you should feel bad about that and work on loving your body -- yet if it doesn't conform to wildly restrictive and unrealistic beauty standards, then you *shouldn't* like/be okay with your body and you should be constantly working to change it, and also, you need to advertise/talk about (like the lunch conversation this woman was talking about) how much you hate particular parts and what you're doing to improve them to make sure people know you're not just some slob who is okay with her body the way it is. 

Every bit of that message is work, and every bit of it is contradictory: no matter what, there is something wrong with you that you should be working on. It is pretty demoralizing to see what we're up against as women.  

[pugz]

litebright seriously! We can't win. It is so fucked up.

[pugz]

wambam I think there are extra challenges when you are dealing with anxiety around food!

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Jun 9, 2019 16:53:40 GMT -5 AndyCohen said:

Jun 9, 2019 16:19:47 GMT -5 ESF said:

I like the word movement! I think it is more inclusive and less loaded. Exercise is so tied up with dieting and having the end goal of weight loss that I think it contributes to self-loathing. I know for me personally, there is nothing that makes me hate myself more than trudging away on an elliptical for an obligatory 30-60 minutes. 

Finding things you like to do is so overwhelming, and so much of the fitness industry is not set up for all bodies. I found one plus size yoga class at some local studio here, and I wish there was more stuff like that. 
 

I got into spinning this year since my gym has a Peloton and I am just viewing it as something good for my heart and am not expecting or trying for any weight loss. It’s really helped take the pressure off. I have not lost weight, but my endurance is better and that makes me feel so good.

I LOVE spinning. The fact that I don't die every class feels like a reward in itself.

[AndyCohen]

Jun 10, 2019 11:37:35 GMT -5 ESF said:

I have started doing a big of cleaning and purging of stuff anticipation for our move, and there are so many random pieces of clothing in about four different sizes shoved into boxes and bags all over the house. I've been slowly moving in the "no more dieting" mindset over the last year, but it's a daily battle. But now faced with the option of dragging all these items of clothing across the country, I think I need to officially say a permanent goodbye to this stuff. I just can't live like this anymore.

I feel this so hard. It’s taking up so much space, and why? This has convinced me I need to just donate it and move on, so thank you.

[AndyCohen]

Jun 10, 2019 12:17:43 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

Jun 9, 2019 16:53:40 GMT -5 AndyCohen said:

I got into spinning this year since my gym has a Peloton and I am just viewing it as something good for my heart and am not expecting or trying for any weight loss. It’s really helped take the pressure off. I have not lost weight, but my endurance is better and that makes me feel so good.

I LOVE spinning. The fact that I don't die every class feels like a reward in itself.

The feeling when I get a new PR and know that I’m stronger than I was before is so great and keeps me motivated.

[katieinthecity]

Jun 10, 2019 11:57:16 GMT -5 wambam said:

The wellness industry is the diet industry, and the diet industry is a function of the patriarchal beauty standard under which women either punish themselves to become smaller or are punished for failing to comply, and the stress of this hurts our health too.

I'm feeling...something about this. I completely agree that whenever a new thing that's "not dieting" comes around (see: wellness, clean eating, etc.), it gets bastardized and sold. However, I personally can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. My mental health is directly impacted by what I eat. Granted, my most debilitating mental health issue is emetophobia, which makes me constantly aware of every sensation in my body. When I eat "whole foods" (whatever that means), I simply worry less about vomimting, which makes my life a lot easier. When I eat a lot of sugar, for example, I feel things in my body that cause me anxiety. I realize that this is probably very specific to me and my set of issues, so I'm trying to distinguish between the wellness industry and actual wellness (which I define as feeling good in my body) and the lines are really blurry.

I absolutely do not discount that there are health conditions that can be negatively or positively impacted by specific foods. Some are well-known and researched, others less so. In general, I believe that if YOU (general you) feel better eating a certain way, or avoiding certain foods, or eating more of certain foods, by all means, do so.

I think the problem is when these specific diets that have proven beneficial in a small portion of the population (e.g., keto, gluten-free) that may have the side effect of weight loss or stabilization, are then picked up by the diet/wellness industry and mass-marketed as a health/wellness benefit and OH LOOK you also lose 20 lbs a month. But the fact of the matter is, those diets are HARD to follow long term, and if the only reason you're doing it is for weight loss, or some ambigious "wellness" need, and not say, because you have epilepsy or celiac and are being followed by specialists who are tailoring your diet to your health needs, you're unlikely to sustain either the eating style OR the weight loss. 

[jigsy]

I feel like I just need to be constantly reminded of this. I mean, last week there was a thread here about "what do you wish you loved but just can't" and my immediate response was my body. I follow pugz on instagram and I because of what she has posted, I will listen to different podcasts, and so often I think while listening to them that it all makes so much sense and after a day or so, I start thinking that it makes sense for other people, but not me. Then I read something like this and I feel better about myself again...so maybe I just need constant exposure to HAES/anti-diet content. lol

[formerlyak]

@

I hate exercising more than anything. I just hate it. I never had to exercise until having kids, because I danced 4+ hours most days. I could eat a ton and not gain weight. But now, I don't have the time to dance like I did, so ... I don't like going to the gym. Yoga just makes me sit there for an hour and think about all the things I need to do when I leave and it stresses me out. My youngest is 5 and I still have 20 pounds of baby fat to lose. I found pilates. I love pilates. But several studios I tried I get looked at with the "poor fat girl trying to do pilates" look. I want to scream, "Put your look away, bitch! My body has done stuff yours can't even imagine." But I don't. I privately talk with the teacher, explain my injuries (arthritis in both knees and hips from dancing and a shit ton of scar tissue in my lower abs from 2 c-sections and a hernia repair), and do what I can. They always say to do what you can to that day, but I still get looks when I need to take a break. Until I found my current studio. The teachers are a former dancer and a physical therapist. They understand my injuries. Most of the people who go there have injuries and we all support each other working with what we got. It makes me feel so much better going to that class! That class has taught me to accept that this is a process and I am never going to have my 30 year old dancer body back, but I am still strong and this is a process.

I am still "fat" for me, but I am not ashamed of it because I know I am trying my best to take care of the body I have.

[winecat]

Jun 10, 2019 0:44:00 GMT -5 Shreddingbetty said:

Jun 9, 2019 20:38:08 GMT -5 winecat said:

I go to yoga 2-4 times a week and people who don't know that see me as out of shape/fat.  I've skipped some of my usual classes if they have a new teacher because I just don't want to deal with the pity/hopeful looks they give me because they think I'm a new and they want to encourage the fat girl.  My yoga studio tried to be size inclusive.  They said they could order any size needed.  I can order online with the best of them.  

I wish I looked like I go to yoga regularly.  I keep at it because it helps with my chronic back pain.  Every once in a while some new chubby girls join but they never stay.  

I did one yoga session last year because they do roof top yoga outside at one of the restaurants in the summer and checked it out with a couple of friends. I was amazed at how much I suck at it and how I probably should do it (and I’m thin and in pretty decent shape and not very flexible as I found out that night ). It really made me respect people that do yoga a lot more. You may not get a cardio work out but you get muscle and flexibility.   There are plenty of skinny people that are out of shape and also plenty of overweight people that don’t necessarily look like they are in shape even though they are. It is sad that you are made to feel like you need to skip classes when there is a new teacher, they should just mind their own business and teach but I also know that’s probably not the reality unfortunately. You probably kick some skinny butt (you would mine I’m sure)

You can get your heart rate up during a flow class.  It's a pretty decent full body workout.  I know there are plenty of thin people who are in crappy shape and there are heavier people who are in great shape.  I don't care about kicking "some skinny butt."  I'm just so tired of it always being about the size of mine.  I don't skip classes because I feel like I "need" to.  Their treatment of me is representative of the whole clusterfuck.  I know they're not singling me out.  They feel pity for all the chubby folks that show up.  If I feel up to dealing with other people's nonsense I go.  If I don't, I don't go.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2019 7:22:31 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

Don't get me started on the smug "no excuses!!!" people who post on social media re: movement.

I have a love/hate relationship with exercise or movement. My fit bit has been a huge help for me, i figure at least i can get steps in even if i am unmotivated to do anything else that day. that said, i am sure that fitbits feed into some of the toxicity of the wellness movement.

My Apple Watch battery is definitely not lasting as long as it once did. I have had a Fitbit or Apple Watch for a number of years, but I'm thinking that I want to just go back to wearing a regular watch. I still should exercise, but I want to stop obsessing about the precise amount, whether I've tracked it, etc.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2019 13:44:17 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

I don't know but this is bugging me a little bit. Only because I am very active and I am actively trying to lose weight. I feel like stuff comes up like this and I find it personally discouraging. I come from a family with several obese members that have several health conditions or died due to their weight. I workout primarily for the endorphins and it's my only social time of the day. I am NOT trying to be a size 4 or give up all treats forever. I also really don't feel like I am on a diet currently since I still do eat treats and I am not miserable. With all the working out I do I need to make sure my joints keep up with it. So I needed to lose weight for that. But also I know where I was headed if I just let it go. (which I did after #45 was elected and ate my feelings for 1 year)

Also, I don't feel ashamed of my current weight. I was moderately obese and now I hovering into the overweight column. I lift heavy and take a double group class and I feel amazing afterwards. So I love my body no matter what size. 

I am glad for you, truly. But if the bolded is true, then maybe this article isn't aimed at you. There are a TON of us who have struggled with not hating our bodies for, well, ever.

[racegrrl714]

Jun 9, 2019 19:03:47 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

Jun 9, 2019 16:56:14 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

I did water aerobics in law school for a while because I fell down some stairs and destroyed my foot. It was fun! I then got really into lap swimming. Some day I’d like to get back to swimming laps, but I just don’t have time right now.

The community pool in my town has a lazy river and they have a morning workout class that's basically just swimming or walking against the current for like an hour.

I'm SO tempted. A woman in my book club did it when she was pregnant last summer and said it was amazing.

YAS! Ours does too, and I swear I got more out of that than actually swimming laps. I need to get back into it.

[pugz]

jigsy I definitely need the constant exposure to it. That's why I've followed a ton of IE/HAES people on instagram so I am daily reminded of things. I mostly reshare stuff for my own benefit, lol. Then it is in my archive and I can go back and see it. Just a bonus that friends like it too! I've connected on a deeper level with a lot of friends over this topic and that is something I didn't expect to happen when I started this journey.

[TR]

No one (including this article) is saying don’t be healthy or don’t do things that are right for your body. They’re saying think about why you’re doing it and also pointing out that, a lot of times, when the various industries and advertisers are saying “think about wellness” they’re really saying “think about being thin”. Even the when fitspo started around the idea that “strong is the new thin!” All of the people in those memes were...pretty thin.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2019 14:24:10 GMT -5 TR said:

No one (including this article) is saying don’t be healthy or don’t do things that are right for your body. They’re saying think about why you’re doing it and also pointing out that, a lot of times, when the various industries and advertisers are saying “think about wellness” they’re really saying “think about being thin”. Even the when fitspo started around the idea that “strong is the new thin!” All of the people in those memes were...pretty thin.

Not to mention that "_____ is the new thin" still sets up thin as the ideal.

And yeah, nobody is saying to stop eating a certain way or exercising a certain amount if it is working for you, if you feel healthy, if it is not damaging to your mental health.

[rachelgreen]

@@ and TW @ loss mentioned

It’s a good reminder for me that it’s probably ok that my body is where it’s at currently. A year ago I had been at my lowest weight since college and I felt so much better. I really did. It had been a long process of losing those 80lbs over the course of 5 years (two kids in there with a year of BF for each) but I felt like myself again. I felt great in clothes.

And then I got pregnant. In March, we lost my MIl to cancer and I had to deliver my stillborn daughter. Somehow only being halfway through that pregnancy, I had already gained 30 lbs (both others I gained 28 exactly in total). I’m still up that weight plus 5. And I am miserable. I don’t feel like I’m over eating. I don’t feel like I’m a couch potato either - just this past weekend was the annual Chicagoland Walk of Hope that I chair and I logged nearly 50,000 steps on Saturday alone.

And yet, I can’t figure out how to be ok with how I look. I can’t figure out how to love my body right now because it has been failing me for years and now it took my daughter from me as well. It’s such a mind fuck.

[jr009j]

@@@

My 7 year old has sensory issues regarding food, so getting her to eat anything new is a massive struggle. When she was 4, she tried chocolate chip pancakes to much fanfare because it was her first new food in a year. She excited told a yoga teacher and was promptly told that chocolate chip pancakes are a bad food and only for sometimes. Guess who didn’t want to eat chocolate chip pancakes anymore! The language of “wellness” starts so young and I constantly feel like I’m fighting against the current when talking to my young girls.

I try so hard to focus on helping my girls find exercise to be fun that I’m probably overdoing it with letting them try anything they want. But it’s taken me such a long time to be comfortable with it and not to dread it. I started to use the language of “find a way to move your body that you find fun” with them and then questioned why I wasn’t applying that to myself. I find I’m trying more things and not dreading it as much.

[pugz]

rachelgreen (hugs)

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Jun 10, 2019 15:11:32 GMT -5 jr009j said:

@@@

My 7 year old has sensory issues regarding food, so getting her to eat anything new is a massive struggle. When she was 4, she tried chocolate chip pancakes to much fanfare because it was her first new food in a year. She excited told a yoga teacher and was promptly told that chocolate chip pancakes are a bad food and only for sometimes. Guess who didn’t want to eat chocolate chip pancakes anymore! The language of “wellness” starts so young and I constantly feel like I’m fighting against the current when talking to my young girls.

I try so hard to focus on helping my girls find exercise to be fun that I’m probably overdoing it with letting them try anything they want. But it’s taken me such a long time to be comfortable with it and not to dread it. I started to use the language of “find a way to move your body that you find fun” with them and then questioned why I wasn’t applying that to myself. I find I’m trying more things and not dreading it as much.

You're doing your girls such a favor. I was taught by my mother that exercise was a chore and to be avoided at all costs... so I avoided it. Coupled with bad eating habits, I have spent my whole life overweight. It wasn't until I was 30 (just over a year ago!) that I realized I actually love lots of forms of exercise. I just never felt like I could explore it before.

[ESF]

Jun 10, 2019 13:44:17 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

I don't know but this is bugging me a little bit. Only because I am very active and I am actively trying to lose weight. I feel like stuff comes up like this and I find it personally discouraging. I come from a family with several obese members that have several health conditions or died due to their weight. I workout primarily for the endorphins and it's my only social time of the day. I am NOT trying to be a size 4 or give up all treats forever. I also really don't feel like I am on a diet currently since I still do eat treats and I am not miserable. With all the working out I do I need to make sure my joints keep up with it. So I needed to lose weight for that. But also I know where I was headed if I just let it go. (which I did after #45 was elected and ate my feelings for 1 year)

Also, I don't feel ashamed of my current weight. I was moderately obese and now I hovering into the overweight column. I lift heavy and take a double group class and I feel amazing afterwards. So I love my body no matter what size. 

Your first paragraph frames life as a choice between "actively trying to lose weight" and "if I just let it go." Between that, and your comment about this thread being discouraging, it suggests to me that you think we are all in here encouraging each other to quit life and and become some Wall-E character with no self control or self respect.

I think it's great you found an approach to your physical and mental health that works for you. But the key phrase is that it works FOR YOU. Some of us don't want to follow that approach. Some of us can't, due to physical limitations, money limitations, time limitations, etc. Some of us have and found it to be physically and/or mentally harmful.

But the point here is that there's a place between "actively trying to lose weight" and eating your feelings for a year and it is OK for people to choose to live there.  The point is that while taking care of your health *can* mean losing weight, it doesn't have to be losing weight. It can be caring for your health in other ways, using metrics that are appropriate for your body and your medical needs and your limitations and your mental health. There is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, but it's also just not the right solution for many.

[mrssandro]

Jun 10, 2019 15:37:18 GMT -5 ESF said:

Jun 10, 2019 13:44:17 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

I don't know but this is bugging me a little bit. Only because I am very active and I am actively trying to lose weight. I feel like stuff comes up like this and I find it personally discouraging. I come from a family with several obese members that have several health conditions or died due to their weight. I workout primarily for the endorphins and it's my only social time of the day. I am NOT trying to be a size 4 or give up all treats forever. I also really don't feel like I am on a diet currently since I still do eat treats and I am not miserable. With all the working out I do I need to make sure my joints keep up with it. So I needed to lose weight for that. But also I know where I was headed if I just let it go. (which I did after #45 was elected and ate my feelings for 1 year)

Also, I don't feel ashamed of my current weight. I was moderately obese and now I hovering into the overweight column. I lift heavy and take a double group class and I feel amazing afterwards. So I love my body no matter what size. 

Your first paragraph frames life as a choice between "actively trying to lose weight" and "if I just let it go." Between that, and your comment about this thread being discouraging, it suggests to me that you think we are all in here encouraging each other to quit life and and become some Wall-E character with no self control or self respect.

That was not my intent. I am sorry it I offended anybody with my thoughts. I will just see myself out of this post. Obviously the article was not intended for me. 

[ESF]

Jun 10, 2019 15:39:55 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

Jun 10, 2019 15:37:18 GMT -5 ESF said:

Your first paragraph frames life as a choice between "actively trying to lose weight" and "if I just let it go." Between that, and your comment about this thread being discouraging, it suggests to me that you think we are all in here encouraging each other to quit life and and become some Wall-E character with no self control or self respect.

That was not my intent. I am sorry it I offended anybody with my thoughts. I will just see myself out of this post. Obviously the article was not intended for me. 

I'm really not trying to chase anyone out of this thread, and honestly I think people who think this thread or article is not for them are probably the people who have the most to learn from it.  I just think one of the biggest misconceptions about overweight/obese people is that if they aren't dieting, they must be binge eating, and while I accept that wasn't what you intended, I think in general people should be aware that that is how comments are often perceived because that's typically what people mean.

[waverly]

Jun 10, 2019 7:15:15 GMT -5 twilightmv said:

This is in response to the PP who mentioned the ridiculousness of morality around some food items.
I made dietary changes last year that I needed to make for me. I’m proud of how I look and feel now, but I hate how people act around me when they are eating. I don’t eat a lot of sugar, so if someone is ordering dessert around me 80% of the time it seems like they feel pressure to say “you’re being so good/I’m being bad” etc. It drives me nuts. Just because I’m choosing different food these days doesn’t mean I’m morally superior or you’re doing something wrong for eating a cupcake. It’s arbitrary and bananas to me. Food is food. Eat the food, don’t eat the food, it says nothing significant about your character either way.

This.  None of what I ordered for 1 meal in a restaurant had anything to do with anything.  It was one meal in an entire lifetime of food. It had no bearing on anything (weight or health wise) nor did it have any moral significance.  I used to get a lot of comments when I was a certain size in life or when my size changed on my food choices and overall health when really it was none of their business or they were praising an actual medical issue.   

[jr009j]

Jun 10, 2019 15:37:09 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

Jun 10, 2019 15:11:32 GMT -5 jr009j said:

@@@

My 7 year old has sensory issues regarding food, so getting her to eat anything new is a massive struggle. When she was 4, she tried chocolate chip pancakes to much fanfare because it was her first new food in a year. She excited told a yoga teacher and was promptly told that chocolate chip pancakes are a bad food and only for sometimes. Guess who didn’t want to eat chocolate chip pancakes anymore! The language of “wellness” starts so young and I constantly feel like I’m fighting against the current when talking to my young girls.

I try so hard to focus on helping my girls find exercise to be fun that I’m probably overdoing it with letting them try anything they want. But it’s taken me such a long time to be comfortable with it and not to dread it. I started to use the language of “find a way to move your body that you find fun” with them and then questioned why I wasn’t applying that to myself. I find I’m trying more things and not dreading it as much.

You're doing your girls such a favor. I was taught by my mother that exercise was a chore and to be avoided at all costs... so I avoided it. Coupled with bad eating habits, I have spent my whole life overweight. It wasn't until I was 30 (just over a year ago!) that I realized I actually love lots of forms of exercise. I just never felt like I could explore it before.

My mom was similar. She made such a big deal about it every time she did it and tried every new craze only to abandon it a week later. She has never found something she enjoys. She does the same with diets. I’m still working on unlearning everything she taught but I can try my hardest not to teach my girls that shit.

[goldengirlz]

Jun 10, 2019 10:44:20 GMT -5 ESF said:

Jun 10, 2019 7:50:35 GMT -5 wildrice said:

@@@

I think being a 30 something woman who hasn't had kids actually adds another layer - there are so many messages now about "look at what your body can do/did! Your body created a life, you can't be ashamed of it!" and my body hasn't done anything impressive. I mean it gets me through life day to day, and that's cool, and I've been lucky to have been mostly healthy up to this point. But I have a "mom bod" without being a mom and there is something that feels almost a little shameful, like I have no excuse for not having my shit together. IDK.

On the other hand as I am getting older I definitely do feel less pressure to be thin. Truthfully, I've never been "thin" and I don't have any reason to think I will start in middle age. There was a time when I was average (like a size 8 and middle of the BMI chart) and I felt mostly ok with my weight but still wished I was thinner. While now I wish I was that weight. Which makes me think that no matter what, I'd never truly think I was thin enough so what's the point? Why does thin matter anyway? Who am I trying to impress? Why do you have to be thin to impress?

I have largely given up on dieting in the last year or so. I still strive to eat healthfully and move more (and often fail!) but so much of the happiness and joy in my life come from going out to eat, trying new recipes, finding delicious things in the grocery store, trying new beers, etc. I could stop doing all that, but for what? Is being thin for the sake of being thin going to make me happier than getting out and enjoying all these things I enjoy? Doubtful.

I do worry about my future health related to weight but I also wonder how much of that is even factual anymore. Will being my weight actually make me less likely to live a healthy and active life into old age or is that the diet industry trying to scare me into buying their products? IDK. Seems like the jury is still out on that one.

Allllllll of this.

As to your last paragraph, I will say this. I suspect that at least some of the statistics that demonstrate worse health outcomes for obese people are the result of doctors not taking concerns seriously and proscribing weight loss at the solution to literally every health concern.

That said, my approach now as I age is to think about how to keep my body functional. Can I carry heavy bags of groceries and squat down to pick things up and put suitcases in the overhead bin and comfortably twist around in the car to see blind spots? The ability to do these things is something able bodied people take for granted, but are skills everyone, regardless of size, can lose through disease or accidents or even just because you aren’t paying attention and taking care of your body.

So with that in mind, as I age, I personally try to think about “exercise” as an act of self care done to help me live as independently. That’s how I now make myself go to yoga, gotta be able to get myself up off the floor easily.

My fitness inspo is actually my 92 year old grandfather who was a daily gym goer well into his 80s (until his memory started going.) He looked, and moved, like someone 20 years younger. It was readily apparent next to my dad (his son) who is battling multiple chronic conditions and has more limited mobility. (Some of those issues related to bad luck/genes but also lifestyle.) Being able to maintain that functional mobility is really important to me.

[AJL]

I think this article IS for everyone.  I've read through all the current posts here and in every on I still hear the voices of people who are struggling against the propaganda of the wellness industry, diet culture, definitions of health, and the fight against their own needs, wants, and desires.

We've been told so many lies and given perverted definitions of health, wellness, diet, exercise. We're told these lies so that we'll buy the products that we think will give us the results we're told to achieve so that we'll be worthy, desirable, acceptable, and wanted in society.  Those lies feed on our shame. 

But we have nothing to be ashamed of. Our bodies are good bodies where they are right now.  Their shapes, their textures, their abilities, their colors, their ages, their functions... they are all good.  

This topic is so hard to assert our power against because women have been controlled by it for so long. It's a tool of the patriarchy and used as a distraction from what we're capable of being.  I've struggled for so long too and though I feel like I'm in a state of equilibrium with my body, mind, and spirit right now,  it's taken decades of struggle and therapy to get there.

Each of you is an extraordinary human being and your worth is in your humanness.