Believe it or not I’m a pretty active person. I walk many times a week, sometimes it’s a casual stroll and other times I work up a sweat walking up to the local lookout.
Us Aussies, we are a friendly bunch, especially when exercising. Frequently people congratulate me for exercising, give me the thumbs up as they pass me or if I’m lucky I get a wink. YES A WINK. Weird I know.
By frequently I mean MANY people comment or make some kind of gesture. And I’m kinda over it.
I don’t need encouragement, winks, thumbs up and random health tips from strangers whilst I’m exercising.
Part of me thinks that its oh so nice these strangers are encouraging me to walk up the hill I tackle a couple of times a week. The other part of me finds it patronizing.
It just kind of makes me feel like I’m a kid being patted on the head by an experienced adult. I shrug it off, because it was obviously meant to be a nice gesture, but it got me to thinking about how other plus size people would react to this.
If someone said the same to you, would you find it encouraging or a little frustrating?
When the size 6, perfectly toned woman from my yoga class says to me as I arrive ‘oh you’re here again…good for you darl’ in her husky voice whilst finishing her last cigarette before the class. I grin and politely respond when I really want to make a witty comment back about the irony of chain smoking before and after a health class. (In my mind it would be to the tone of Kath & Kim)
I don’t understand why people feel the need to comment and provide encouragement to an overweight stranger minding their own business. So for a while now I’ve been exercising before dawn or after dark when there aren’t as many people around.
Is it because I’m bigger than everyone else? Do strangers see my wiggle and jiggle on my size 18 body and think wow she’s big I should say something to help her. I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT.
Don’t get me wrong there’s a certain amount of comradely in the fitness world. I’m a positive person and take all the comments in a positive way. But seriously…..its getting a little to much.
So to the strangers who see me minding my own business, on my own, powering up the hill with a pink (moreso purple) face squinting at the sweat stinging my eyeballs. Please don’t wink at me. Please don’t give me the thumbs up. Because I find it condescending.
Don’t look at larger people whilst they are working out and pity them. They are out there enjoying life.
(I respect that in certain situations such as group fitness encouragement can be very motivating – this post is more directed at strangers commenting when I am alone and minding my own business)
Curvy babes, have you experienced this whilst working out?
I hate it. Don’t give me the ‘everyone starts somewhere’ false positivity – don’t assume I’m a beginner because you believe your body has come to you through your hard work and mine is a consequence of laziness. That said, I could go for a little more condescension and less of the all out mockery and abuse I cop. If people could just mind their own business that would be super.
That seems so patronising to myself and difficult because they probably have good intentions. I sometimes just want to exercise and be in my own little world without people constantly offering advice and so on! Wore ugg boots to yoga last night and i basically stopped traffic at the gym with everyone being like WHY ARE YOU WEARING THEM? Not a similar situations, but people always like to give you their feedback for every little thing I guess… x