Gym culture often emphasizes weight loss as its ultimate goal, but with the revitalization of McMaster’s new gym, The Pulse, is body positivity possible?
Work out trends, diet fads and gym advertisements usually all portray the same message. The message being that fitness and health look a certain way. In many cases, the message is that one’s body needs to change.
To many people, public fitness areas reinforce this idea. Gyms can oftentimes become a place that causes people to compare themselves to others. Those who don’t fit society’s version of a healthy body may be left to feel uncomfortable in these situations.
McMaster’s new building of The Pulse, a gym on campus, has brought in a wide array of new students. The new gym offers new spaces, new workout classes, and new equipment.
Many students have been enjoying the newly improved gym, including 3rd year student Amanda Round. She uses The Pulse on a regular basis.
“The physical benefits go without saying, but I like going with friends, it really helps with my mental health,” said Round.
The physical benefits and the social benefits of a university gym can be great motivators to pursue fitness. But this can be overshadowed due to lack of body positivity amongst the fitness community, as well as uncomfortable feelings by students.
This problem can be identified by many gym goers, including 4th year Biochemistry Justin Alvarado. Justin is also a part of The Pulse’s staff, but he identifies that the marketing for gyms can be very non inclusive.
“As a whole, I don’t think the fitness industry is inclusive enough to all body sizes. While many gyms have improved the environment they create to become more inclusive, I believe more marketing is needed to cater to all body types and sizes,” said Alvarado.
“As a whole, I don’t think the fitness industry is inclusive enough to all body sizes. While many gyms have improved the environment they create to become more inclusive, I believe more marketing is needed to cater to all body types and sizes.”
Justin Alvarado, Pulse Staff
The idea that the gym is a place to move your body, and not just a place to lose weight or train to look a certain way may be more helpful in making the gym more inclusive. Though it seems that through time the fitness industry may be changing this idea.
“I have noticed a shift in fitness and gym media that doesn’t really touch upon body size and weight loss but instead highlights general benefits of the gym such as general physical and mental benefits as well as community,” said Alvarado.
With this in mind, it seems as though McMaster has also taken steps in the direction of working to make the gym more inclusive. There are now numerous workout classes, which may help students to become more comfortable in the gym and with working out.
There is also an improved women’s only section, which can help female identifying students in feeling more comfortable using the gym. As gyms tend to be male dominated, these spaces can help these students in having a better attitude when attending the gym.
“I really like that they have a women’s section as well. I think that really helps get more women to the gym, especially those that don’t feel comfortable working out in a co-ed environment due to personal or cultural reasons,” said Round.
The Pulse has also dropped its old dress code. This can also be helpful in ideas of body positivity, as wearing what is most comfortable can help people in feeling confident in the gym.
“I think it's really important that people work out in what they’re comfortable with and what makes them feel empowered whether that's a sports bra or being covered head to toe,” said Round.
Overall, it seems as though McMaster has taken strides in making The Pulse inclusive of all students. Though in order to make change in raising ideas of positivity, it seems it is up to students and the fitness industry to shift the mindset that fitness is a one size fits all mold.
Loving yourself and your body is one of the first step to a steady relationship with your partner
Everyone says love is beyond your looks. But this is often easier said than done for many of us who struggle with our body image, particularly in a world of social media.
Body image tends to be connected to self-worth. Being in relationships often causes us to feel vulnerable and self-conscious about our bodies. In some cases, it prevents people from seeking out relationships as they tend to magnify the difficulties and insecurities they may have.
“You can’t love someone else until you love yourself first,” is a common saying we have heard many times — but is this true? This study from 2016 concluded people who were happier with their body tend to have better romantic relationships compared to those who were dissatisfied. Individuals who struggled with their body image reported having more anxious and fearful attachment styles. Overall, though, of the 12,176 participants in the study, only 24 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women reported being satisfied with their appearance.
Katie McCrindle is a registered social worker, body liberation counsellor and activist who works with women and non-binary folks to improve their relationship with themselves. She aspires to create a world where people of all sizes are confident and are in a place of self-acceptance.
“If they're not feeling worthy, or good, then they start to doubt the relationship,” explained McCrindle.
Once they start to become unconfident, their thoughts can spiral down a rabbit hole as it causes them to feel displeased about their bodies and themselves in general. This is especially prominent during intimate moments when people are especially vulnerable and exposed.
“Especially when people are contemplating having sex, I think that is a huge part that impacts body image and how you feel about yourself [by] being in that vulnerable position. It's vulnerable to being naked in front of somebody,” said McCrindle.
“Especially when people are contemplating having sex, I think that is a huge part that impacts body image and how you feel about yourself [by] being in that vulnerable position. It's vulnerable to being naked in front of somebody.”
Katie McCrindle, registered social worker
Having low self-confidence in their appearance can make people more anxious in their relationship and fear that their partner will leave them. The main reason for this may be due to societal pressures and social media.
On social media, the “ideal” woman is curvy with full lips, perfect skin, white teeth and tanned skin. For men, the “ideal” is to have abs, broad shoulders, be over 6 feet and have defined muscles. Realistically, only very few individuals can check off all of these — and that is okay.
Body positivity is important because not only will it improve everyone’s self-confidence, but it will also strengthen everyone’s relationships, whether they are romantic or not. In short, body positivity is accepting all bodies, no matter their race, size, gender or anything else.
“I usually start with body image. [I help] people to learn more self-compassion for those kinds of thoughts and feelings about [their] body because it's pretty normal to have difficult emotions about one's body,” said McCrindle.
“I usually start with body image. [I help] people to learn more self-compassion for those kinds of thoughts and feelings about [their] body because it's pretty normal to have difficult emotions about one's body.”
Katie McCrindle, registered social worker
It is okay if you can’t love everything about yourself. It takes time and patience, but it is important to remember that you will always be there for yourself.
