Every Body Is Beach Ready: What The Fitness Industry Got Wrong

“Tone and tighten for shorts season!’’ “Get yourself summer ready!” “Bikini season is coming!!”

I can guarantee you have heard these poorly crafted marketing slogans before. And I am here to break them all down for you. Because at their core, that’s what they really are; marketing. Attempts to shame you into spending money on their programs.

Don’t get me wrong. Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the single best things you can do for yourself. Nothing has helped my anxiety like exercise has. But part of that healthy living includes your mental health. Because if you feel guilt every time you eat something that’s not on a (questionably beneficial to begin with) ‘plan’ your mental health isn’t in it’s best state.

At the risk of coming off too ‘preachy’ I feel it’s part of my job as a fitness professional to spread awareness on all things health and wellness. And unfortunately feeling inadequate in our own bodies has been something the majority of us have dealt with. Anything that leads someone to think they need diet pills or causes eating disorders is the opposite of wellness.

And I’m not going to stop discussing this until some changes are actually made.

Health is for every body.

Fitness and exercise is for every body.

And the beach is definitely for every body.

-Ashley Cunningham