Subtitle: Let's Get Physical Chapters 7-8 &
Appendix
Posted on February 24th, 2022
By Olivia Baker
As we wrap up Let's Get Physical, the feeling
that instantly comes to mind for me is gratefulness. I am grateful for the
women, named and unnamed, who fought for the culture we live in today. I'm grateful
that Danielle Friedman took the time to write this book on a history that is so
little known and rarely taught. I am grateful (and excited) for the progress that
we continue to observe. This blog will look at some of that progress, focusing
on the last chapter of Let's Get Physical to briefly discuss some of the
more recent developments in women's fitness culture and the directions we are
headed.
Research has shown that bodies of all shapes
and sizes can be fit bodies. As we've seen throughout
this book, Western culture has a long history of associating thinness with
health, strength, and virtue, and fatness with disease and as a result western
medicine has often treated weight loss as a cure-all. However, recent research from
Dr. Lindo Bacon (the founder of the Health at Every Size movement) and Dr. Lucy
Aphramor suggests that this view doesn't take into account the important role
of chronic stress. Their experiments have shown that the gap between someone's
actual weight and their perceived is a greater indicator of mental and physical
health than that person's body mass index (pg# 249). Furthermore, experiments
completed by Dr. Kenneth Cooper (the father of aerobics) show that "…the death
rate for people who are "thin but unfit" is at least twice as high as for
fatter counterparts who are fit." (pg#249). Just like with marathon running the
growing body of research will continue to help bust the myth that immediately
associates a person's outward appearance with their inner health and encourage
better healthcare for bodies of all types in the process.
The rise of social media and Instagram in
particular has allowed for the people to have greater control over the
narrative around fitness culture. Look no further than
Jessamyn Stanley, a yoga guru who is Black, queer, femme, and *fat (pg#240).
Unable to afford classes at a local studio, she started practicing yoga at home
and posting photos of her poses on Instagram in hopes of getting constructive
feedback. She received that feedback but also found that people were shocked to
see a fat yoga practitioner and has since used her platform to change the way
fat bodies are perceived in yoga and life (pg#244). Many others have also used social
media to bring visibility to lifestyles that had previously been unseen and
give voices to the voiceless and we can see the way that culture has shifted as
a result. Women's magazines, popular clothing stores, and other big brands are
now beginning to adopt a more body inclusive mindset in the products they make,
models they use, and messaging they promote. Whether they truly understand the
importance of inclusivity and representation or are simply looking to
capitalize economically on "woke" culture, this change is evident and
encouraging.
Workout spaces are becoming more
accessible. The current generation of fitness
pioneers has made accessibility a priority. Leaders like Jessamyn Stanley have
made it their stated goal to make body-diverse classes accessible to anyone who
wants them. Sadie Kurzban, creator of the popular 305 Fitness, has created a
business model that offers community classes at low cost, financial assistance
for those facing economic barriers, and gives clients the ability to pay it
forward to cover others' memberships (pg# 252). Virtually, spaces like Peloton's
#BlackGirlMagic community created a place for its members to connect over health
and fitness topics relevant to black women (pg#246). We certainly have a long
way to go on the issue of accessibility, but the presence of spaces like these
are promising progress.
Fitness has the potential to empower us all. The
initial promise of fitness to reduce, sculpt, and shape may have brought many
of us through the door, but it is my hope that you've found joy, community,
stress relief, and a plethora of other things that keep you coming back.
*As is noted in the book and worth repeating here, fat
is the preferred terminology within the body acceptance movement. Overweight
suggests that humans should strive for a uniform weight and obese unjustly
pathologizes large bodies (pg#239).
Discussion Questions:
1. How
long have you been running/walking/jogging? What initially led you to this
community? What has encouraged you to stick with it?
2. What
future directions of women's fitness culture excite you?