Since stay-in-place orders have ramped up, I’ve noticed a fascinating social-media phenomenon that can best be summed up by a description I saw on Instagram: turning quarantine into “fat camp.”
Many people are publicly committing on social media to “get ripped” and come from the COVID-19 crisis — which has infected almost 2 million people worldwide and killed thousands — in “the very best shape I’ve ever been.”
The pressure to visit this bandwagon can be overwhelming.
Now, don’t get me wrong — as an athlete and fitness editor, I know that movement is powerful. Exercise is an incredible tool for supporting overall health and mobility as well as building confidence and a sense of security in one’s own skin. In times of fear and uncertainty, many of us tap into moving our bodies for to reduce stress, self-regulation, and grounding. And as many of us shelter in place, those who haven’t had here we are at, or interest in, fitness may certainly be ready to commit to make it a priority to move their bodies more.
Friendly competition and accountability may also be incredibly motivating and foster a feeling of connection when we are forced to be apart. And it is a relief to have so many options available for on-demand and at-home workouts created by brilliant fitness minds who wish to make a difference in people’s quality of life and health while we wait out a frightening, frustrating scenario.
That said, I invite everyone to look at the intentions behind their movement practices:
- Are you wanting to get fit quickly?
- Are you scared of losing the fitness gains you’ve labored for over the years?
- Do you feel pressured to maintain tough workouts even when your intuition is begging you to definitely slow down?
There isn’t a right or wrong answer to these questions, but I do believe there is value in asking them and considering them openly and honestly. You will probably find that much of what we think we “should” do is a myth.
The truth is that it is OK if your body changes right now. Realistically, using the new routines that all people are navigating, it is likely that of our bodies will change. Can you really embrace that change and be curious about these changes, instead of spend energy fighting them to hold onto an old normal?
The truth is that you can take this time to treat yourself better, to look at habits and parts of your old routine that didn’t serve your physical or mental health. Perhaps there is time and interest for exercise and movement high wasn’t before. Is it possible to explore this new interest to find out what type of activity feels and works well with your body, rather than succumb to preconceived notions of the items fitness looks like?
The truth is that it’s natural to be afraid of losing fitness gains during an unplanned or undesired training break, but it’s also the truth that you can bounce back. Is it possible to view the break as an chance to mix up training regimens — as well as rest — knowing that fitness is really a long game, rather than viewing this interruption in your regularly scheduled program as a loss?
The truth is that exercise is a stressor. We often consider it very simplistically as a “good stress,” one that counteracts “bad stress.” But your body requires to be able to reconcile all of that stress. Is it possible to keep this in mind as you make fitness-related choices in the middle of a new stressful situation, instead of push through a routine that worked before everything else changed?
The truth is that allusions to “fat camp” smack of phobia and hatred, plus they feed societal fears of fatness. During this time — or really, any time there's a change in routine — some bodies will put on weight and some may lose weight. Causes for include, but aren’t limited to, the following:
- Changes in how and how much you’re moving the body.
- Changes in types of food you have access to and interest in.
- Changes in stress and anxiety.
There is no inherent value in weight reduction or gain, no moral imperative in smaller or bigger bodies. Can you really make positive changes to your fitness without posting on social media or saying something that disparages a specific body type, even if it’s your body type?
Is it possible to unfollow accounts which make you feel bad, overwhelmed, or pressured, and instead follow accounts that engage you inside a more empowering way?
Remember: Kindness isn't antithetical to fitness and good health. However you choose to move (or not), it won’t hurt to understand more about how you can do so with kindness, on your own and others. Do so and you may find that you come out on the other side of this crisis better than before.