Section 3 - What is Body Positivity?
The Body Positive Movement
Body positivity refers to the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how society and popular culture view ideal shape, size, and appearance.
Some of the goals of the body positivity movement include:
challenging how society views the body
promoting the acceptance of all bodies
helping people build confidence and acceptance of their own bodies
addressing unrealistic body standards
Body positivity is not just about challenging how society views people based upon their physical size and shape, however. It also recognizes that judgments are often made based on race, gender, sexuality, and disability.
Body positivity also aims to help people understand how popular media messages contribute to the relationship that people have with their bodies, including how they feel about food, exercise, clothing, health, identity, and self-care. By better understanding the effect that such influences have, the hope is that people can develop a healthier and more realistic relationship with their bodies.
This is a great article to read to understand more about Body Positivity, I highly recommend you read it.
What does Body Positive hiking look like?
From an EYCZ perspective, when we refer to Body Positive, we are actually referring to Body Acceptance. We are asking our participants to value themselves in the body they are in. We are not asking them to love their bodies (as this is a big challenge for many people), rather than accept it as it is, and what it is capable of, rather than what is is not.
There are too many sports, gyms and recreation activities out there that focus on transformation and decreasing people's body size. Instead we want to celebrate people as they are. People may transform their fitness, their shape, or their speed by attending our hikes, but this is not a goal of our organisation.
The specific ways EYCZ supports body positivity are:
No diet or weight loss talk on our hikes, or in our Facebook groups
Slow paced hikes, at the pace of the slowest person, with many rest breaks (the message here is you don't have to "get fit" before joining us, come as you are)
No activities that would require asking people their weight or measurements (this includes horse riding, some kayaking, some ropes activities, skydiving etc)
Focus on how to support all bodies while hiking, including the use of poles to support joints, and guidance with strength and stretching.
Whilst many of our participants live in bodies that may be larger than those usually represented in the outdoors, we do not only welcome people in larger bodies, we welcome women and non-binary people in all bodies, provided they are willing to take a body positive, non-judgemental approach.
Our focus is fun, with new friends, in the outdoors. Moving for fun. Not because you "have to" or "should", but because you love the mental and physical health benefits of being outdoors. As adults we don't play enough. Lets change that!
10 Tips on how to personally be more body positive, from Body Positive Australia.
Remind yourself often – the most interesting thing about you is not what you look like.
Fat is not a feeling. If you are ‘feeling’ fat, ask yourself, ‘what was happening right before you had the thought, ‘I feel fat?’ Invite your feelings to tea – befriend them. Underlying all eating and food challenges, it’s about building a relationship with your feelings (and needs).
Cut down on checking – checking weight, checking in mirrors, checking fat rolls, checking for collar bones, checking measurements, checking calories, checking how clothes fit etc. The underlying work here is about building self-worth and self-compassion.
Stop the fat talk and watch the language you use to describe yourself – is it kind? Show yourself ‘kindfulness’.
Ditch the appearance based comments when greeting others and find other meaningful ways of connecting – this is especially important in front of children.
Image is a construct – you didn’t just decide to hate your body, you were taught to. The underlying work here is about challenging social constructs and unlearning the negative messages you have received and internalised.
You are bombarded with messages that you aren’t good enough so that you will buy diets, gym memberships and beauty products. The underlying work here is about building awareness and discernment.
Change-up who you follow on Instagram – images are powerful and can change the brain for better or worse. It’s important to follow other healthy brains.
Don’t wait until you are thin to live the life you desire. Start living now.
Draw your attention inwards and take time to be in the body – it is your true home.