We all see them right before we head to the check out at the supermarket. They're chilling right beside the tic-tacs and the mint gum we really don't need but suddenly get reminded of their existence when we're ready to pay.
I used to be the type of person who flipped through magazines while I waited for the person in front of me to finish ringing up their order and paying. This goes towards any magazine. Fast forward to present day - I don't really even flip through them anymore. Majority of them are just rumors and you know, actual fake news just to get you to pick up the magazine.
Back to Fitness Magazines. For the most part, majority of the models on the cover are always posed in a sports bra and shorts or perhaps a tank top and shorts. Recently, I came across an athlete* on Instagram essentially talking down on what the women on the magazines were wearing.
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The athlete I am discussing is not an Olympian - just thought to throw in that disclaimer.
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What a woman wears to workout is no ones business but her own. Majority of women on fitness magazines are dressed like that; sure some representation of what other women are wearing would be nice but that doesn't hide away from the fact that there is a good amount of women that dress like that when exercising. Just because it's not your reality that doesn't mean it isn't hers. As long as she's comfortable in what she's wearing, that's all that matters.
There are people that like to wear loose clothing and that's cool too. Everyone has their own standards and often - I think perhaps we all do it in our minds? - we look at fitness magazines and hold what the models are wearing to our own standards.
I'm all about representation. This year there was the first hijab-wearing athlete on the cover of Women's Running magazine - and it was awesome to see someone who sort of dressed like me on the cover of a sports magazine.
me making sure me & balance are best friends for the .3 seconds it took to take this photo
The point I'm trying to make here is this: Someone may exercise in a completely different outfit than you. There are people who prefer loose clothing. There are people who prefer clothes that stick to them. There are people who wear less clothing than you while working out. Women from either sides do not have the right to police what the other is wearing. Just like what you're wearing is your reality, what they're wearing is theirs.
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P.S. if you see any of your idols, favorite athletes, influencers (anyone you look up to etc.) talking down on what other people are wearing I'd like to advise you to reconsider following them on your social media. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself- would I ever be friends with someone who shamed what other women are wearing just because it's not their standard of workout (or any) clothing?
PPS. this was actually just going to be a twitter thread but then I ended up typing here. (Well, before tweeting I was ranting in my notes and then realized WOW THAT'S A LOT OF WORDS I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS.)
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I don't read women's fitness magazine and when i go for a run I don't look at others. To be honest, it's already hard to stay focus without having distractions ahah xx corinne
ReplyDeleteThat's the perfect mindset to have! I can totally agree with that - it's hard enough to focus without distractions - whenever I go running I'm more focused on keeping myself at a comfortable pace, no room in my mind to look at others!
DeleteThis is a really powerful post, Sahara! It's such a shame that people even talk about what others are wearing, especially when it comes to 'functional' clothing like sportswear. That said it is great to see more progressive attitudes from main stream media - I would love for it to be the norm to see women in hijabs on the front of sports magazines.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
Kate x
http://www.findingkate.co
Thank you!! That was my exact thought too - everyone has their own set of clothes they feel comfortable enough to move around in to exercise, there's no need for any commentary from anyone else. I'm hoping for it to be a norm too- I'd probably throw a party the moment that happens hahaha I think it'd help a lot with motivating women in hijabs to exercise more :)
DeletePowerful post with powerful messages!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
DeleteI really really loved this post, I feel so uncomfortable working out in any clothes that I don't take notice of what anyone else is wearing but sometimes people care too much about what are wearing it's crazy! Thanks for sharing your thoughts x
ReplyDeleteKayleigh Zara 🌿www.kayleighzaraa.com
So happy you enjoyed reading it! Finding clothes you're comfortable to workout in can be such a challenge and the commentary from others is completely unnecessary- not sure why people even care so much! The only thing that matters is that you're comfortable with what you're wearing :)
DeleteGreat post! I love that note at the bottom encouraging people to reconsider who they follow on social media. I think we tend to overlook the nasty things some of our fave celebrities may say just because they are celebrities. But honestly we should demand more from them (as far as this subject goes) because they are the ones with huge platforms that can affect so many different people.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Adding in that p.s. was something I knew I was definitely going to be putting in the blog post because like you said, we sometimes overlook the wrongs that our favorite celebrities do/say & find ourselves justifying whatever it is they did/said. The athlete I ended up unfollowing after this has a pretty large following and it literally upsets me that they would choose to spread that type of negativity on their platform.
DeleteGreat post! This is actually a really powerful message; even under the guise of trying to help other people, judging what other people wear is never anyone's business xx
ReplyDeletemia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com
Thank you!! And yes no matter what, what someone is wearing is no one's business but their own :)
DeleteI've never really read fitness magazines. Honestly my sister takes me shopping for workout clothes so I wear tank tops, sports bras and shorts, nothing fancy I just want to be comfortable and be able to workout.
ReplyDeleteI personally just catch a glimpse of the covers of fitness magazines, not really sit down and flip through them. Comfort is literally the only thing that matters when choosing clothes to workout in - as long as you're comfortable in what you're wearing, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks! They shouldn't have any commentary to begin with.
DeleteLove this post! As a hijabi myself I can totally relate to feeling a bit uncomfortable when it comes to finding work out friendly clothing - it can be difficult and then comes the judgement of others. I like the message here, that whatever someone chooses to wear, they should still be respected and allowed to be healthy and work out as they please. Thanks for sharing! x
ReplyDeleteRumaanah // https://ruminvte.wordpress.com/
Thank you!! It's always a challenge finding workout clothes that fit the way we want them too and are comfortable enough to be moving around in. It doesn't help that others feel the need to make unnecessary comments on what a person is wearing - but the most important thing is that everyone wears something they're comfortable to workout in. There is no specific "uniform" to workout - it all comes down to what the person is comfortable in. Thank you so much for reading; so glad you enjoyed it!
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