I’ve been surrounded by fitness my entire adult life, and it still really bothers me how exercise and fitness is portrayed in the media. I will say that things are sloooowly shifting, but it’s going to take a long time to undo the idea that to exercise, you need to already be fit. Or worse, that looking a certain way should be the main reason to move your body. Deep breaths, Melissa! Deep breaths.
Why is it that when you search for images of fitness or Pilates, the majority of pictures you see are of very thin or “ripped” younger women and muscle-bound men? These body types take a very strict, unsustainable diet and hours in the gym each day. Yet when I look around me at the grocery store or the people walking or jogging past my house, not one person looks like that. None!
If I had pictures of all of the people I’ve taught or coached through the years, very few would look like the images that pop up online. You’d see people of all ages, from teens to seniors. Their health and fitness levels would span the entire spectrum. Some would be new moms, or people discovering fitness for the first time, while others would be recovering from surgery or illness. My point is that despite what the media has taught us, my life experience proves that fitness is meant for everyone and every body.
You Deserve to Feel Good
Those marketing photos can make fitness seem scary or impossible, if that’s the only version you know. Let me reassure you that if you step into any gym or fitness class, you’ll see people just like you working out. And if you tell the instructors that you’re new, most will spend extra time helping you feel comfortable. I know that I want my students to enjoy fitness and reap the benefits that I know it brings – which are all unrelated to “total body transformations”.
With regular fitness and healthy eating, you will see changes in your body; but that’s not why most of us exercise. When you’re active, you get to:
- Build lean muscle mass
- Improve your body strength and power
- Keep your heart healthy
- Be social with others
- Improve your mood
- Have better quality sleep
Fitness shouldn’t be a punishment or feel like a chore. Yes, it should challenge you sometimes, because that’s how you get stronger. You are made to do hard things! But you should also enjoy it. It might take time to find the right gym, trainer, or activity that makes working out fun – but there are lots of options out there. And try not to be intimidated by those who’ve been doing Pilates or weight training or running (or whatever) for years; they were once beginners, too.
Read More: How to Start Pilates as a Beginner
Fitness is for everyone, including you. You deserve to be strong so you can keep moving and do all the things you want and need to do in life. Don’t let the false marketing images tell you any different. Let’s show the world who you are – who WE are! We are strong.