#fitness culture

[luulapants]

I keep recommending this episode of The People's Pharmacy to people. It's an interview with neuroendocrinologist Robert Lustig about why "diet and exercise" is useless as a health doctrine when dealing with obesity related illness. I figure some of my followers are probably dealing with body weight and diet issues and struggle with feeling like it's their fault, so I'm sharing it here. Reasons I really like this interview:

He really hammers home that obesity related illness is not illness caused by obesity - rather they are symptoms of the same underlying cause

He explains the mechanism that causes the conditions in a very accessible way

Even when the hosts pushed him to give some "practical" advice for listeners, he adamantly insisted that this is a systemic issue that must be solved on a systemic level and that it is unreasonable to expect individuals to combat our diseased food industry on their own

He pushed back again against the idea that teaching healthy food habits to children is workable on a family level, and calls school cafeterias the largest fast food chain on earth

One more thing: this is why we should be supporting public radio!

[glittergym]

I hate how gender segregated fitness advice is. Oh You're A Girl™️?? Don't Lift Too Heavy! Don't Want To Look Like A Man! IS IT OKAY TO BE IN THE GYM WITH GIRLS?? Here's How To Lose Weight As A Woman!

shut up!!! shut up shut up shut up shut up

[skilasophia]

Reduced Belly Fat

Core discipline People think you're so fine With your nice abs (no water after 12p) Skeleton face (google: "how to manage mood swings"); The camera loves you

Less than 5%? All the fitness rats will fall in love You're so thin, you're so hot (don't season your food); The elliptical is efficient for losing weight Integrate into your workout 60-to-90 minutes daily Maximal incline and resistance

Lululemon's calling: Influencer of the year Go build your audience Lie to your fans Profit from scams You're their favorite brand ("I don't even like this material")

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"MENTAL, MORAL SIDE OF SPORT ARE IMPORTANT," Hamilton Spectator. August 29, 1933. Page 5. ---- Mere Muscle Development is Not All --- Judge Jackson Addresses Lions Club ---- Stresses Value of Modern Athletics ---- "If my interest in athletics, extending over a period of some 40 odd years, was confined entirely to the muscular development, I doubt that I would have ever become interested," declared Judge J. A. Jackson, past president of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada, as one of the pertinent and timely ob- servations of his address to the Lions club of this city during the weekly meeting at the Royal Connaught hotel yesterday at noon.

Judge Jackson, presiding judge of Lethbridge, Alta., and district, was one of many notables at the meeting, the Lions being very fortunate in obtaining the learned judiciary as guest speaker, and his discourse on amateurism and sports in general proved most impressive.

Introduced by W. A. Fry, of Dunnville, vice-president of the A.A.U. of C., and reputed holder of more titles in amateur official cir- cles than any other Canadian, Judge, Jackson was by Sam R. Manson. W. H. Crocker, president of the A.A.U. of C., W. A. Hewitt, Toronto, secre- tary of the O.H.A., and P. J. Mulqueen, chairman of the Canadian Olympic committee, were unable to be present.

"Hamilton," observed the speaker, in his opening remarks, "is one of the places that keeps Canada on the map. I have the greatest respect for Hamilton as an athletic center and for my confrere here (Mr. Fry), who will shortly be president of the A.A.U., I predict great things, particularly for the next Canadian Olympic team he will head."

Other Qualities Then the speaker declared that interest only in the muscular development of the athlete was not sufficient. It is to the mental and moral end of things that one must look. Giving various reasons for interest in athletics, which are becoming more and more important, The judge stated that the secret of mankind's mental well-being came from the days of the ancient Romans, who believed in giving the populace bread and games to keep them content.

Judge Jackson observed that the crime wave which reached its height four or five years ago could be traced to early war days when the youth of from thirteen to eighteen years was neglected during the stress of difficult times. With no older companions to show them the way, he said, the youngsters drifted into bad company. As the older boy leads, he declared, the younger boy will follow, and he then charged those just graduated from the teen age to show way that their younger companions might place their feet in the proper steps. The older boy of tomorrow, he said, and in ending the big trouble. to fill a boy's day, he said healthy and beneficial sport must be brought into play.

Play Is Vital "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," he stated, quite pertinently, "but no work and no play makes Jack a criminal. We must direct our pleasure-minded lives along the proper channels that the youngsters will follow and obtain benefit. The best way to handle idle hours is in clean and wholesome sport. If there is no work let's give them bread and games and we'll find that the general improvement that has been reached during the past fifteen years will continue, and that amateur sports of all kinds will hold a major part in the lives and well-being of the community."

The speaker, a cousin of the president, Dr. E. C. Jackson, who occupied the chair, voiced his pleasure in being able to propound a subject near and dear to him, and he referred jocularly to his introducers, Messrs. Fry and Manson. The attendance prize, donated by Howard Williams, was won by Sam Manson.

[bicripple]

Today in Eco-Ableism

So after a negative experience with Google Maps telling me as a cyclist to go on fairly unsafe roads a frend recommended CityMapper to me, which lets you control how safe/quiet vs direct a route you want your cycling route to be.

This sounds great! So I loaded up the app and...

...and it's calorie estimates *everywhere*. When you tell it from where to where you want to go in its list of possible routes, every one that shows up has both a distance AND a calorie estimate beside it.

When you select a route, there is a calorie estimate.

When you open up the route on your phone it tells you how many meals the route's calorie estimate is equivalent to.

And there is no way to turn the calorie estimates off.

It's so gross how many cycling people are so deeply ableist and anti-fat that they think mandatory prominent calorie estimates are a good idea.

It's such a clear message that only certain thin, healthy, abled people should be cycling. And such a naive idea that this will somehow "help" people lose weight rather than consult with fat people about what would actually make cycling more inclusive.

[happilyburningwizard]

This hits real hard having lost 80+ lb. since late February. Like, fat shaming and fitness culture hurt so many, so fundamentally.

But my body feels great.

My joints are limber.

I had to do a lot of physical work at home over the summer and despite being exhausted, for the first time in 20 years it felt good to use my body.

I never once felt ashamed being a fat guy, but I look at my body in the mirror and I smile. It's fucked up in some respects, but I like myself better and I feel more confident, and that is literally due to my weight.

I've got the brainworm, bad. Gotta work on that.

wanting to dismantle beauty standards but also defining yourself by them

[justposting1]

How Slow Jogging Heals the Body

Slow jogging is easy to do. It’s no more taxing to your heart than just walking. Instead of trying hard and running at an intensive pace to the point where you don’t enjoy yourself or your surroundings, you can jog at a relaxed pace and get all the benefits. Give it a shot, even if you’re not 40 yet. 💪 There seems to be an overwhelming belief in fitness today that pushing ourselves to the limit…

[perplexingly]

Spirit companions

[fitnesswithaj]

The Impact of Social Media on Women’s Perception of Beauty (and Cosmetic Surgery!)

This week, we are diving deeper into the world of beauty and cosmetic surgery! Yes, I’ve said it! Cosmetic Surgery! Continuing my discussion on how difficult it is to navigate through social media and find ourselves at a crossroads between self-acceptance and the constant pursuit of unattainable beauty standards –a recent study conducted by the University of South Australia surveyed 238 Australian women on their willingness to consider cosmetic surgery in the future.

And guess what? Over half of these women (aged 18-29) are on board with going under the knife, and 16% have already undergone some form of cosmetic procedure. These statistics underline the undeniable connection between the use of social media and self-comparison. As we all know, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are prevalent with content of “ideal” bodies, which is often achieved through filters, editing, and sometimes leading to extreme fitness regimes, right? In a way, this shows that outside of our fitness community, women are also pressured to change their bodies through a different approach.

Okay, let’s dissect this together!

Dr. John Mingoia, a researcher involved in the study, points out that even after cosmetic procedures, less than 40% of women are satisfied with their post-surgery bodies. This statistic speaks volumes about the temporary nature of cosmetic transformations and the importance of addressing self-comparison issues. And for those of us on our fitness journeys, it’s crucial to emphasise that pursuing self-love and acceptance should be a priority over the relentless chase for a specific body type. The article highlights that over-identifying personal attributes that are considered unattractive can lead to negative self-perception. Essentially, the MORE we focus on our flaws and self-criticism, the FURTHER we drift from self-love and compassion!

Back to social media, Dr. John Mingoia also mentions that these platforms provide a space to publish and converse in discussions or messages that challenge harmful beauty standards. Let’s consider how fitness influencers on Instagram contribute to these beauty standards. Many of these influencers post their fitness journeys and bodies, which can inspire or demoralize their followers. As I’ve mentioned before, most of them edit their content in a way that is acceptable for Instagram’s beauty standard. At the end of the day, all these self-comparisons can take a toll on our well-being (reading a post that hits home is tiring by itself!). The relationship we have with ourselves is at the core of our fitness journeys’ progress. When we constantly compare ourselves and believe that we don’t measure up to the “ideal” standards on social media, it’s natural to start doubting our own progress and self-worth.

So what can we do now?

Well, my advice is to teach yourself how to maintain a positive mindset! You can start by practicing self-compassion. To me, self-compassion involves treating my body and mind with kindness and understanding, even when I don’t see the immediate results I want from hitting the gym five days a week! I understand how difficult it is to embrace our flaws, but treating it like some kind of disease that needs to be cured is not a way to approach this either. It took me a while to fully accept myself, and I have days where I don’t love my body as much! Being grateful that you have this powerful machine that you call your mind and body that can endure the heavy sets at the gym, is definitely a start.

Another tip I would do is setting realistic goals that are tailored to my body’s abilities and needs. If I know I can get my body to hip thrust 50kgs, I will set up a 55 or 60-kg goal for the next two weeks and see how my progress goes! Unrealistic goals often lead to frustration and self-criticism. Setting up smaller goals can build our confidence and track our progress more effectively!

Anyway, I hope this post finds you well! Sending all my love and positivity to you all <3 

Catch you later xx

[wingnutticus]

Just gonna rant about this real quick bc I think it's kinda weird, but like

You know those weird ass videos of women recording themselves at the gym and accusing men of staring at them? You know those videos?

Apparently, so many men in the fitness community have been calling it out and they've even started avoiding women at the gym bc of them. To the point where some have said they won't even help a woman that is struggling to do an exercise bc of they're afraid of being accused of sexual harassment

Now I'm not saying that those videos aren't stupid at all. Bc they are, it's dumb to wrongly accuse people of bad behavior. But the fact that these men believe that this stuff happens in real life is just? So fuckin weird to me??

Are they so online that they think that anything that happens on YouTube 100% applies to real life 100% of the time? Do they really think that their lives will be ruined if they so much as talk to a woman at the gym?

And it's like, I think they're mad at the wrong thing here. The reason these types of videos exist in the first place is bc men have made so many women feel uncomfortable in the past, whether they're at the gym or not. Shouldn't these guys fight to make women feel comfortable bc of this instead of just blaming everything on women and making themselves the victim

Anyways yeah, that's about all I have. Really weird, weird guys being weird. That's it

[an-onyx-void]

I personally feel like it is difficult to find books [meant for the general public] written by actual authorities in health, wellness, and fitness. Does anyone else share that sentiment?

[crimsontentacles]

fuck it. gopnik miku.

[hinamie]

obligatory water tribe alt outfits so i am not held liable if they freeze

jjk atla!au with @philosophiums

[idolomantises]

I'm ngl i kinda wish people wouldn't look at a character I create, see that they're mean, and then immediately assume by default they're actually super tragic and a sad woobie. And I'm not even saying this to be like "people need to appreciate 2-dimensional villains!" because I don't agree with those people either.

It's like if a character is a jerk, it either needs to be justified with a sad backstory, or they need to be a saturday morning cartoon villain. it can't just be a part of their personality.