I don’t wear a bikini or shorts at 61 because I have a perfect body. I wear them because I’m done obsessing over it. I’m done letting my body dictate how I feel about myself or how I show up in the world.
I’ve been working out since I was a teen. Over the years, I’ve been stick-thin, I’ve been overweight, and I’ve gone through two pregnancies and childbirths.
A few months ago, I shared a video of me running on the beach. A woman, older than me as she made sure to point out, commented to shame me for my jiggly, dimpled thighs. She said she looked better than I do.
It took me right back to being 15, when a “friend” told me my thighs were too big. That one comment led to a Diet, which later spiraled into a full-blown eating disorder.
Yoga has helped me detach from what my body looks like. I still see the loose skin, the jiggle, the cellulite, but I don’t have an emotional reaction to it anymore.
I feel good in my body. I feel proud of how far I’ve come, from a self-loathing teen to a confident woman in her 60s.
I work out because it makes me feel strong and capable, not as punishment.
Yesterday I went to the gym in shorts. For a second, I felt exposed, like all my flaws were on display. Then I looked around and saw women of all shapes, sizes, and ages rocking their shorts too. Everyone looked happy and healthy. That’s what matters.
It took me decades to reach this kind of acceptance. But I got here, and if I can do it, so can you.
#bodyimage #thisis61 #over60andfit
