Let’s get political…
If you're anything like me, you've been trying to purge all things related to politics from your feed, emails, and alerts. Thankfully, I've been able to curate my Instagram FYP to only show me recipes, book recommendations, and Vizsla videos. Things are really heavy right now, and I wish I could say that it can only get better. In a time when things feel so out of our control, let's take a moment to focus on something we DO have power over.
Women being in the gym is a political act.
Pause. Let that sink in. I'll say it again for the people in the back...
WOMEN BEING IN THE GYM IS A POLITICAL ACT!
Let me tell you why.
If you Google "history of women's exercise" (you'll get angry), but you may also learn some things. The AI generated response I got included the following information:
1920s: women exercised at home and were encouraged not to sweat in public (that right there would have had me burned at the stake)
1940s: women exercised more in gendered public facilities, but still wore dresses and skirts
1960s: women were told their bodies "couldn't handle" vigorous exercise
1970s: women were allowed in coed gyms
1980s: think Jane Fonda exercise videos
1990s: muscles became more socially acceptable on women
What the actual f*ck. It's unsettling, because while I did already know most of these things, there's something about seeing it written out in front of you that adds a whole different level of reality to it. It was not that long ago that women were discouraged, or not allowed, to move their bodies freely in a fitness space. Literally, picking up and putting down something heavy was not an activity we had access to.
Take a breath.
Let's think about this: if, instead of AI, we got to write the short description for the 2020s, how would you describe women's exercise today?
In our little corner of the fitness world, here's what I'd have to say:
Women can exercise whenever, however, and wearing whatever, they damn well please
Do you understand just how powerful an act it is to come workout?
When you step into the gym, you're reclaiming space that was typically occupied by men. When you choose a heavier weight, you're saying that you're not afraid to be strong. When you sweat through your clothes, you're proud to show how hard you've worked. When you stop apologizing for asking questions, you're recognizing your worth.
Look, I don't just encourage you to let out your morning sounds to be funny, or tell you to stop apologizing because I'm a jerk. We've been told to be polite, quiet, and reserved for far too long. If I need to let out a big, open mouth yawn, I'm going to do it. If I want to listen to dirty music while I work out, I'm going to sing every word. If I pit out of my shirt or look like I peed myself after a workout, I'm walking out of that gym with my head held high.
Getting stronger means that we're done waiting around for someone to help us, to protect us, to come save the day. It means that we recognize all the things our bodies can do, and we're excited to show that off. Working out no longer means we're trying to get smaller...I'm here for the gains, bitch.
I know things are hard right now. I know you might be hitting some of those "I can't" days, and that's okay. I'm hitting them, too. But, in a time when we're once again being told to shrink, to comply, to stand down, just know that you still get to decide what happens to your body here.
Your workout, your choice.