This post started out as a ”wow, I really love this outfit that I wore to my samba class” post, but quickly evolved into a ”let’s have some real talk about exercise and our culture.” I started writing, and the words just went splat. With that, read on, friend!

I’m going to be really straightforward: I HATE diet culture. Like, to the point where I mark diet ads as offensive on social media. To me, it is the epitome of consumer culture to try and sell a “quick fix” when there is nothing quick or fixable happening.

First of all, what I see all the time is the false equivalence of weight, health, appearance, and happiness. There are times, yes, when these four things do affect each other – but the body is way more complex and our psychology way too delicate for these things to align directly. That is, just because you “look” healthy and happy certainly doesn’t mean you are. And just because you carry more or less weight doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy, although weight can be an indicator, not a diagnosis, of possible health problems. If you’re worried about health – real health – find a doctor or nurse practitioner who you trust, with whom you have mutual respect, and listen to them. Not those damn diet tea ads.

This leads me to my second point: there is a heavy culture of working out in order to “fix” a problem. Like there is something wrong with you. Uh, huh?

You do not need to be “fixed.” You are not a feral cat.

Let me make one thing clear: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU.

You do not need to be “fixed.” You are not a feral cat.

Your weight will go up and down, and if it’s within normal limits for YOU, there is nothing to worry about. I fluctuate with a range of about 15 pounds depending on my level of exercise. Outside of those bounds, I know there is something going on with my health (psychological and/or physiological) that I need to check on.

That doesn’t mean that you should ignore medical conditions – if you are at risk for, or have already, a health issue, take care of yourself. Listen to the experts. But that doesn’t mean that there is something inherently wrong with YOU. That’s ridiculous. Want more convincing? See this post for more on why you are totally acceptable just the way you are.

The reason why I’m railing on this now is because every January there is an onslaught of “new year, new you,” BS which often includes weight loss and exercise as a way to “get healthy.” These ads are also often accompanied by skinny, toned people smiling as they zip up their jeans. Eye roll.

We Know the Benefits of Exercise, but Just in Case …

And OF COURSE exercise is healthy if it’s the right routine for you. There are so many benefits to exercise beyond the size of your spanx. Like, actual health benefits, as outlined here today by Harvard Health. Staving off type II diabetes, reducing your risk for heart disease, anxiety, and depression, sleeping better, and lowering blood pressure.

What I love about the Harvard article I linked above is the paragraph about weight, and how they treat it for what it is – one variable of many when it comes to your overall health. They mention the fact that excess weight is associated with heart disease, and go on to say this beautiful nugget about exercise:

But if you don’t lose weight, don’t give up on exercise! According to the guidelines, the health benefits of physical activity are generally independent of body weight. You will still reap those benefits, no matter how your weight changes over time.

Harvard Health Publishing, February 2019

Which brings me back to this: health and appearance are two separate things.

Getting Personal

Example: Some of you may know that a few years ago, I sustained a heavy-duty concussion that resulted in my body no longer being able to produce somatotropin, aka human growth hormone. Somatotropin is necessary for maintaining muscle mass, focus and concentration, ability to socialize, bone density, and a whole host of other things.

My BMI went from about 22 to about 18.5 – both within normal limits. I “looked” fine.

I felt like shit.

I couldn’t walk more than a block at a time. It took me forever to walk up the 8 stairs to our apartment. Time felt like it just didn’t exist, because I couldn’t focus on anything. I really didn’t care to talk to anyone, because it was exhausting. I felt completely dissociated with my body, like I was just lugging it around like a briefcase handcuffed to my neck. And once I got on hormone replacement, it took months to start feeling any change.

Find What Gives You JOY (or at least, something you like)

Now that I’m SO much better, I appreciate exercise for all that it gives me. It connects me with my body. I’ve learned to breathe into it, to trust it, to be thankful for how strong it can be. It helps me focus, it clears my mind; sometimes I can feel anger or frustration leaving me, and sometimes I feel filled with joy.

But here’s the thing: if your exercise routine doesn’t include things that give you JOY, your routine is unsustainable for you.

Hate running? Don’t run. Find something else. My mom doesn’t like running at all, but that doesn’t mean she’s not athletic. She tried on different activities and found ones she likes, namely pilates and yoga. She found a routine and schedule that works for her life, her body, and her mind. She likes the focus pilates requires and that it’s a skill you can always be learning.

My sister likes group classes, walking and jogging with her dog, and the elliptical.

My mother-in-law walks with her friends on the neighborhood track.

Rodrigo trains jiu-jistu.

For me, I actually dislike yoga and pilates (depending on the day, you may hear me say I hate yoga in particular. Unless it’s Bikram, I like that heat). It’s a very unpopular stance, living in the SF Bay Area.

And I straight-up can’t STAND the elliptical. I could write a whole article about my personal dislike for using that machine. I think it’s a wonderful tool. For someone else.

But I love running. I love the meditative quality of it, that I can push when I want, that I can do it anywhere – indoors, outdoors, with my dog. I love listening to music and pounding it out.

I also love dance. I trained ballet as a kid, have dabbled in hip hop, and am a samba addict. It brings me a very specific kind of joy, the type where I feel like I don’t have to take myself that seriously, that type where you feel above it all but completely connected to everything at the same time. It. Is. MAGIC.

So Why Do YOU Exercise?

So if exercise is a chore, if it feels like you’re doing it to arrive at a fixed destination (such as a certain weight), it is not going to be sustainable for you. I highly encourage you to reevaluate why and how you exercise. If you can find something that brings you some level of joy – you don’t have to be that person who claims to be high on life or anything – I promise, exercise will be much more sustainable AND it will give you way more than a number on a scale. It can help you feel more connected to your body, grateful for all that it does, it can clear your mind (and your pores, BTW), and make your day BETTER.

The quality of your life matters. That’s what exercise should come down to, and I hope that’s how you feel, too.

love

Stig

Outfit Links

I couldn’t find the exact bra, so I linked similar items. My shoes are from the Brazilian brand Olympikus, which I’ve linked below.