Last week and the week before my friend and I hosted a screening of the Embrace movie. A movie centered around the body positivity movement. Every time I watch this movie I leave feeling more love then ever for my body and the fellow women of the world.

Then each morning I wake up to reality I feel like.

A friend tagged me on Instagram to win a free 3 week pass to a fitness studio. Awesome. Don't mind at all. HOWEVER. The imagery used in this contest was of a women in a tiny bikini in the water from the back side with "perfect" skin and a very small waist and legs. Followed by an image of a women with her legs in the water, again very slender legs, followed by the last image of a woman in another small bikini, thigh gap and abs. Not even showing any of their faces. Literally just their young "perfect" bodies. Like they aren't even people or something.

The anger begins to build inside me.

We have so far to go. We aren't going to change traditional media anytime soon. (That doesn't mean to stop trying). BUT fitness studios and trainers and teachers and instructors and gyms have the choice. Especially these small studios. They have a choice to embrace the women they are advertising to, rather then telling them they are not good enough through imagery.

To further my frustrations, I go to Facebook to see someone selling their fitness equipment saying "get those legs summer ready".

You have legs. They are fucking summer ready.

We have choices. We can choose to change the world by saying things like "invest in yourself" and "workout for you" and "exercise for your health", rather then "get abs" or "grow your booty".

Abs do NOT equal happiness. That shit comes from the inside. Workout because you feel strong or empowered. Workout to feel and be healthy.

The language of the fitness industry needs to change.

It starts with us as consumers. We can put our dollars into businesses that support positive body statements and images.

"Language Matters" as Mayim Bialik talks about in one of her videos regarding how we talk about women. Same rules apply how we talk about our bodies. If we keep sharing and buying products telling us to "get summer bodies" the cycle continues. BUT we have a chance to take notice of this language and advertising and fight with our wallets.

#REALBODYADVERTISING

I am a straight up advocate for all things loving yourself. Last night I even had the pleasure of speaking at the Xtend Barre screening of the Embrace movie. Which is a powerful movie about loving and embracing the body you have. I, along with my friend Kaye are also screening this movie in June!

Anyways. I preach and practice self love. Key word PRACTICE. I'll get to that point in a moment though. But as a self love advocate, I have my moments of not loving myself so much.

Last week was Spring Break and on the Monday I decided to take my kids to the mall Waterpark. (Don't do that by the way. Spring break I mean). That morning I had a total melt down. I put on my bathing suit and just couldn't handle it.

I admit it. I couldn't. I'm human.

BUT I wasn't going to let it stop me from making memories with my kids.

So after teaching that morning we headed to the Waterpark. I put on my bathing suit and had a moment in the change room. BUT. BUT then I said to myself.

"You are going to wear that damn bathing suit anyways. You have two choices. You can hate every moment and try to cover and scower, OR you can rock the shit out of it."

I chose to hold my head in high regard and walk out there like Queen Bee herself.

In reality, we are going to go to the event, head to the beach, or whatever else it is anyways, so we may as well just love ourselves and keep going. Own our bodies like we actually love them.

Back to my point on the practice of self love though. So I head out and I have my head held high. Minutes later I maybe see someone that has a body I don't. I go to my "negative place". But I take a moment (and a breath) and realize I'm still the EXACT SAME person and body I was 5 minutes ago when I loved myself. I can CHOOSE to love myself still. This process happened maybe 20 times that day. It's a PRACTICE. A practice to CHOOSE to love ourselves.

I can CHOOSE to feel defeated or I can choose LOVE.

Let me tell you a little secret. Love feels WAAAAAAY better.

And you know what ladies? Each time we do this we are basically super heros saving the world. Each time we choose to love ourselves and express it in the world, we send that message out. We can feel it from each other. Encourage each other to love ourselves, in turn helping more women enjoy their bodies. The more "real" bodies we see and women loving them it send that message to other women telling them to EMBRACE theirs! Then it catches like WILDFIRE and the world changes.

YOU CAN BE A SUPER HERO!

Just WEAR THE DAMN BATHING SUIT ANYWAYS.

As my mom's friend gave her the advice. Choose the memory you want your child to have. Of you watching them play in the water or of you playing with them.

Love,

Jen The Bitchin' Housewife