WHEN WE'RE 'INTO FITNESS'

When we’re into fitness, we’re ‘disciplined’, we ’have our priorities straight’, we’re ’setting a good example’.

Yet, we’re judged for doing the ‘wrong’ type of exercise, for exercising too much. 


We’re ‘obsessed’. We’re ‘fitness freaks’. We don’t have ‘balance’. 


We’re judged for having the ‘wrong’ reasons and the ‘wrong’ goals. 


When we have aesthetic goals, we’re vain and ‘full of ourselves’. 


When we train for strength, on one hand, we’re ‘empowering’, ‘refreshing’, ‘going against the norm’ but the other hand, we’re judged by the Self-worth Police for tying our value to our abilities rather than our appearance. 


Our bodies are picked apart: ‘too lean’, ‘bulky’, ‘do you even lift?’ ‘too big’, ‘too skinny’, ‘fat’, ‘too thick’, ‘you look like a man’, ‘not my cup of tea’, ’not attractive’, ‘gross’, ‘disgusting’.

We pursue weight-loss and we’re ‘inspiring’, a ‘better’, ‘improved’ version of ourselves.

Yet, we pursue weight-loss and we’re ‘pandering to societal pressures’, ’buying into diet culture’, ‘choosing to not take up space’, ‘less than’, ’bad feminists’.

When we have abs, we’re ‘amazing’, we’re ‘#Fitspo’, we’re ‘#BodyGoals’.

Yet, we have abs and we’re ‘unrealistic’, we’re triggering people, ‘have issues’, we’re setting a bad example. 


We post a selfie in a bikini and we’re #BodyConfident; confirmation that we have embraced and are our proud of our bodies.

Yet, we post a selfie in a bikini and we’re seeking validation, have low self-esteem, we struggle with body image, and we lack self-worth. 


We are ‘inspirational’ when we choose to change our bodies, we are ‘inspirational’ when we choose not to.

Well..anyone else just like FUCK THIS?!

The way I see it, we will be judged regardless, so we may as well do what the hell WE WANT TO DO because it’s no one else’s business and the only opinion that matters? Our own.

Our life, our body, our choices. And as Erin Brown quite rightly says, “freedom from judgement is an inside job”. ❤️

Allow people to be wrong about you. ✌️

LUCY SEWELL