THIS is My Fitspo!

A while back I had a post about how I was torn over debates on whether "fitspo" (fit-inspiration) was really just "thinspo" (thin-inspiration) in a less obviously damaging package (since so many "thinspo" posts were promoting disordered eating and body hatred). In that post, I talked about how I found images of people's bodies in motion, bodies being strong, inspiring. I shared concerns that so much fitspo was really just disembodied images of body parts, disconnecting the end result of a "fit" (read, thin) body from the things I actually care about: health, fitness, strength. But I didn't think it was fair to paint all "fitspo" with the same brush because I've also seen images that really are inspiring (at least to me).

Today, I came across this video on Feminist Fitness, a blog that promotes encouragement for fitness at every size with no body shaming. It, to me, exemplifies my fitspo:

1) Focus on Action- I love that this video is about the action of moving the body and doing amazing things with strength and agility. I love that she shows her progression from the beginning, where she's not as skilled, into the end, where she becomes more skilled. Too often, I think that fitspo focuses on the end result--which makes some sense--but almost none of us is starting from that point, so it's great to see someone embracing the fun and challenge of fitness without being perfect at it. 

2) Weight Loss is Secondary- This woman loses a lot of weight (60 pounds!) from the beginning of the video to the end. That's an impressive weight loss journey, but that's not what the video is about. The video's about her journey toward fitness and her attaining a new skill. 

3) Joy! And that's a new skill that she is so clearly enjoying, even in the early parts of the video where she's making mistakes (and hitting herself in the face. Ow!) I often see fitspo that encourages people to work through pain or reminds them that being miserable is just a part of the process (and there's a place for that), but it's nice to be reminded that fitness isn't always a chore; it can be a lot of fun. (And we're probably a lot more likely to make it a life-long commitment if it is).