Ive been aplus-sizeathlete and trainer to plus-size women for over a decade.
Although 67 percent of American women are considered plus size, they often seem to be…missing.
The plus-size athlete is rarely seen in the media, and people sometimes treat the term like an oxymoron.
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Our societal message surrounding larger bodies needs some fine-tuning.
Many plus-size women are healthy, fit, and killing it at the gym.
And if you’ve ever doubted it (or been doubted), read on.
There is an assumptionone Ive encountered many timesthat larger-bodied women are newcomers to gym culture.
Its time to widen our scope and narrative around what it means to be healthy and fit.
There are plenty of plus-size women kicking ass in fitness who are gym veterans.
Fitness comes with great diversity, and a fit body can be any size.
Our societal message hammers us with the praise of thin bodies coupled with overwhelming diet culture.
There areso many good reasons to work outstrength, energy, mental health, cardiovascular fitness.
Not that you gotta explain to anyone why you’re doing it.
Our culture needs to move away from the anomaly mindset when we see big bodies working out.
Plus-size women have been living under the cloud that they are unhealthy and lazy for many years.
Its true, some plus-size women have health conditions, but so do some thinner women.
We are quick to equate thin with healthy and assume larger bodies must be unhealthy.
But it doesn’t work that way.
Quite simply,you cant tell a persons health by looking at their exterior appearance.
Consider me a human myth-buster!
Yes, plus-size women can be in fitness leadership!
Its just not the case that trainers are only young, lean, and buff.
Every body can pursue their dreams of becoming a fitness professional.
When your body is larger it takes more energy (calories) to move the bodys mass.
Plus-size women who perform push-ups or squats are pushing more mass than their thinner counterparts.
See also: Newtons Second Law.
Hopefully by now we know that many plus-size women at the gym are well versed in exercise.
Some are long-time gym goers, some even work at the gym and lead others.
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