A colleague of mine recently shared an article she wrote entitled, Fitness isn’t Image. It really got me thinking about the daily struggle of convincing women that strength is not about “bulky muscles” and “slim waistlines.” Inevitably when speaking with women I have heard phrases such as: “I don’t like to lift heavy weights because I don’t want big muscles.” Or: “Lifting weights isn’t my goal, I need to lose weight, so I need to do more cardio.”
Y’all, seriously…
Let’s back up a minute and redefine some of this nonsense. First, diet plays an IMPORTANT role in your body composition, which typically is what yields an effect on appearance. Second, building muscle facilitates weight loss more efficiently. Because no one wants to rapidly lose weight and end up with the jiggles, right? Although, a little wiggle in your juggle is COMPLETELY NORMAL.
Yup, I went there. Fat is normal. You need it for that beautiful brain of yours to function. You need it to maintain a normal hormonal cycle. Fat is good. However, ‘everything in moderation’ is a great motto to hold to for literally everything in life.
Fitness is NOT about image. It is about capability. To be fit, you must embrace being strong and stable and mobile. That will come in many different sizes and shapes. There is no one size fits all. We are humans and we are meant to move. If you cannot move effectively and efficiently in your day to day life…that is the problem. Love your body, ladies, help it become as capable as it can be.
Jessica Groves-Chapman
~ Superwoman-in-training
Maternal Movement 