However, now that I realize that exercise and fitness are about making me feel good and strong, I find that I really look forward to it. Particularly now I am working from home. My evening walks have become an end to my day and a chance to enjoy another coffee, okay, and sometimes a candy bar!
3. I don’t exercise to lose weight.
It used to be very anti-exercise because I thought people were only doing it to lose weight and I was exhausted from constantly feeling like I had to change my body like a plus size woman.
However, I realized that while diet culture leads you to believe that you should only exercise with the intention of shredding, exercise can actually just be a way to feel good and get some endorphins.
I do not seek to transform my body or change my body. I like how I look. I like my hips and my breasts and my not flat tummy. I don’t exercise to change; I exercise to enjoy my current body.
I exercise now because of how it makes me feel and I have found a routine that works for me. I don’t like gyms. The smell of sweat and lycra is too much for me to smell. Instead, I prefer to go for a walk in my inner-city neighborhood, do weekly yoga classes, and swim in hot weather.
All of these forms of exercise are accessible, easy, and most importantly, they make me feel good! You have to pursue the feeling of well-being and not overthink exercise.
I think being a plus size meant that it took me a little longer to find my rhythm with exercise and fitness. To realize it it doesn’t have to be something I do just to punish or shrink myself.
That exercise has its place as something you do to feel good and can be completely eliminated from diet culture.
For me, I have found that exercise and staying in shape have really helped me with my mental health. It also means you can justify buying a lot of animal print leggings, so what more does a girl want?
But I also think it’s important to realize that exercise and fitness aren’t just reserved for skinny little people. That going for a walk or doing some yoga stretches or feeling some cool salt water on your skin feels great and, more importantly, that your fitness level does not equate to your level of leanness.
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Featured Image: Supplied / Mamamia.
