A certain commercial I saw this week has me writing this to you all today.
These past few weeks have been filled with studying, friends, and not as much writing as I would’ve liked. But the sound surrounding a recent commercial had me quick to write up this post.
People have been calling the commercial “sexist” and criticizing it for highlighting an already supposedly thin and fit woman’s need to lose weight, as well as joking about how something as simple as a bike appeared to change this woman’s life so much.
Looking at exercise as only a means for weight loss is looking at it all wrong.
This commercial says nothing about losing weight or weight loss. This woman is not tracking her calories burned, dieting, or shown making any changes related to weight loss.
I do not want to in any way tear down those who are working out with a specific weight loss or health goal in mind because these things are awesome and worth celebrating.
But exercise is about so much more than this.
I have maintained an active lifestyle since playing competitive softball in middle school, and I can say with confidence that I have never worked out with the intention of losing weight.
When I was playing competitive sports through high school, I exercised to be able to throw farther, run faster, and hit harder, and to be the best athlete and team member I could be. Even then, I saw the psychological benefits and motivations I had from working out with others for both physical exercise and enjoyment.
When I got to college, I knew I wanted to continue working out and being active. A friend (shout-out to you, Kendall!) got me interested in group exercise classes, and I quickly fell in love with them, and with the positive and encouraging atmosphere I found there.
That spring, I stepped far out of my comfort zone and trained and auditioned to be a group fitness instructor myself, and it has truly been the best decision I have made in college.
I still work today as a group fitness instructor at my university’s Rec center, and I love every minute of it. I love seeing the way just a simple workout class can change someone’s day and bring them joy, and I love that I can impact others in this way. But I do not work out and encourage others to work out solely to lose weight.
Like the commercial famously said, I work out to see change, but not in the form of numbers on a scale.
I work out not to see less fat when I look in the mirror but to see stronger, more defined muscles when I look in the mirror.
*Side note: this is actually something I say regularly in my classes during upper body strength exercises, and it makes my day every time to see people’s faces when I tell them they are strong and watch them repeat this truth to themselves. If we are wanting to change the way women and their bodies are regarded in society, we can start by telling them they are strong more often.
I work out to celebrate my body and the things it is able to do, such as run, jump, squat, crunch, and lift.
I work out because I always walk out of the gym feeling happier and more energized than when I walked in.
As not only someone who enjoys working out, but also as a certified fitness professional, I encourage others to work out never because I think they can/should lose weight, but because I want them to feel stronger, happier, and more confident.
Because these are both the things that working out has given me personally, as well as proven scientific benefits to regular exercise.
Yes, I can see the issues brought up in this commercial in regards to the way it hints at the woman’s need to work out and better herself in order to please her husband (and the body standards of society) and I believe these are valid issues that need to be addressed.
But I also think instead of focusing on the negative, we can instead choose to celebrate what I believe the point of this commercial is:
To celebrate the mental, emotional, and physical growth and confidence we can have through exercise and physical activity.
If anything, I have gained weight since coming to college, but that is not something I am upset or ashamed about, but something I celebrate. College has seen me grow from a scared 17-year-old teenage girl to a stronger, more confident 20-year-old woman. And I like what I see when I look in the mirror, not because my body is perfect by society’s standards, but because I am proud of it and myself for the things it has accomplished.
Just like the girl in the commercial, I didn’t realize how much this would change me either.