FCM172: Unpacking Toxic Fitness Messaging By Understanding Our Industry's History with Natalia Petrzela

“Bathing suit season is coming.” “Get your body bikini-ready!”
“sweat is fat crying,” “pain is weakness leaving your body,”


 


We’ve all heard someone in the industry say these things at one
time or another.


 


They’re part of a narrative that is still pushed hard- that
fitness is about transforming your body, and the subtext of this
kind of messaging that says:


 


Fat is shameful; Having a strict diet and exercise program is the
optimum way to live; Joining a gym or a studio is about getting
physical results; Fitness is easy and fun; And of course, if you
lose weight, you’ll feel better about yourself.


 


But we talk to many of you, and when we do, we hear you saying
that we need to move away from this kind of messaging, and change
the narrative to reflect how moving your body will help you tap
into your inner power, and as a result you’ll start to feel more
confident and empowered- and that begins to show up in every area
of your life.


 


So we started to ask ourselves… where did these two drastically
different types of messaging come from? And how can we all help
contribute to shift the meaning of fitness towards something more
personally empowering than superficial? 


 


In this episode, our guest helps us unpack and answer these
questions by taking a fascinating look into our industry's
past...


 


LINKS:


PRE-ORDER: Fit Nation
The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession


Natalia's Instagram


Book A Breakthrough Session