Let's do better...
Just some of the messages, I as a thin, white, cis-gendered woman have received as the owner of a company and a woman in the fitness industry.
This list doesn't even begin to cover the experiences of Black Women, Indigenous Women, Women of Colour, LGBTQ+ Women, Women whose body shapes don't fit a socially prescribed "norm", Women with physical and intellectual disabilities and Women with different socio-economic status.
Reading them like this you'd think most of these messages came from sh*tty people... they didn't! They came from coaches, employers, educators, loved ones, friends, and industry peers.
Our societal expectation weighs heavy on women, especially in the fitness industry which has become closely wrapped in diet culture and used as a tool to make people feel so worthless and less than, that they need to continually buy into it in order to "fix" themselves. Most of us don't even realise the messages we are putting out there and how damaging they can be.
The thing is - if we don't know someone's experience and we do nothing to educate ourselves beyond our own - how can we create the safe and inclusive environment so many of us claim to be for our clients?
The answer is simple - we can't.
✊🏿We can't be Feminists without including the experiences of Black and Indigenous Women and Women of colour
✊🏾We can't talk about equality without learning about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people
✊🏽We cannot talk about weight loss without highlighting the fatphobic and anti-fat bias perpetuated by the diet and fitness industries
✊🏼We cannot talk about inclusivity without recognising that we as an industry glorify a very specific body type and across the board, we do very little to consider the experiences of those with disabilities and their access to exercise.
If you are reading this and your ego is screaming - yes we can... I beg you to do the work, educate yourself, read books, follow accounts of people in your industry who look nothing like you.
It's our responsibility as coaches to make sure we do no harm and we do that by considering the experiences of all our members, not just the ones who look and think like us.
Some resources you can use to educate yourself:
Stephanie Yeboah - Stephanie is the author of “Fattily Ever After” A body confidence advocate and raises awareness around issues of plus-sized fashion, self-love and mental health.
Chrissy King - Chrissy is a writer, speaker, activist and advocate for intersectional feminism and creating a diverse fitness industry. She writes articles to help people feel comfortable in their own skin and provides education for coaches.
Jameela Jamil - Jameela is a champion of women’s rights and the mind behind the I weigh community - an allyship platform built to share ideas and stories that ultimately mobilize activism.
Jessamyn Stanley - Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher who leads classes all over the world. Documenting her experience and sharing badass captions on body liberation.
Munroe Bergdorf - Munroe is a DJ and transgender activist, she uses her Instagram to document her experience as a black woman and advocating for the inclusion and equality of transgender people.
Books
Me and White Supremecy by Laila F Saad - for understanding white privilege and fragility, recognizing how it shows up in the world and in your life and what you can do to break down an oppressive system.
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall - A bold, brave, and insightful book about how the multiplicity of twenty-first-century narratives intersect and conflict, Hood Feminism argues that feminism is in danger of losing its way if it does not embrace wider issues of race, gender, and class.
Women Don’t Owe you Pretty - Florence Given - The ultimate book for anyone who wants to learn how to challenge the outdated narratives of the patriarchy.
Fattily Ever After - First and foremost a love letter to fat, Black Women who have grown up in spaces where they are shamed, underrepresented, made to feel unwelcome and judged. Stephanie’s book includes ideologies and statements which comment on the power plays and social structures that have been enforced throughout history to minoritize bodies that society deems unworthy.