I can't go to the gym without feeling like I'm in the wrong attire anymore.
I might just be old school, but I like to consider myself a classy individual. And by classy, I mean I know how to dress when I work out so that it looks like, well, I am actually there to work out. Traditional t-shirt and shorts are my workout attire, however, suddenly I am noticing that I'm the odd woman out compared to women around me in the gym.
At the gym, I am surrounded by women wearing their sports bras or a half shirt paired with the tightest leggings or spandex as their workout getup.
This just confuses me for many reasons.
I struggle with this because women aren't paid attention to for the work they are putting in. No one appreciates what we are doing in the gym because what we are wearing is distracting.
Woman are paid attention to because of their clothing, because we are hypersexualized on a daily basis, and work out clothing just happens to be one of the million categories where it happens.
Fitness is a privilege and a chance to be healthy. It's not supposed to be a fashion show to just be a distraction or a prize.
I'm bothered because the clothing industry has made us feel like we have to wear these specific clothes in order to look good while we are working out. But that is not the point of working out!
It's everywhere! In magazines, commercials, ads, and basically anything fitness related.
I understand the benefit of the sex appeal, especially in business. But why can't we market fitness for the simple fact that it's going to make us live longer and be healthier?
Can't we leave the hypersexualization of women out of it?
Now, most of the women in these outfits and ads really do have the ideal body. However, it's only the body that is admired—the appearance. The hard work put into obtaining that body as a woman isn't even thought about. The lifestyle is underappreciated.
On the flip side, if a guy shows off his body, all that's thought about is the hard work that was put into obtaining it. This could be due to the fact that lifting is the center of a lot of male conversations. But a lot to do with the fact that fitness is viewed very differently for men and women.
Women are pressured daily, myself included, to obtain standards, wear certain things, and look a certain way in almost every category of life—fitness and the gym included.
However, I am battling these standards by sticking to my traditional ways. I don't need to be in sexy clothing in order to feel good about myself or my workout.
Fitness is enough for me. I can do without the hypersexualization.
T-shirt and shorts it will be.
