fitness

On having an “it’s complicated relationship” with your body

Sam B

This popped up a few times in my social media newsfeed this week.  And yes, it made me smile. And yes,  I shared it with our Facebook page.

But I shared it with the following text above it: “I like this message…but it’s not always true that our bodies love us. Some of us deal with damaged and diseased bodies, bodies that are broken in various ways. Sometimes we love them anyway, but other times we don’t. And that’s okay too.”

I think a lot these days about the ways our bodies betray us. I’ve lost friends and family members in the past two years to brain cancer, esophageal cancer, ALS, and to stroke. I wouldn’t say that these peoples’ bodies loved them so very much. In my post What does 74 look like? And how much choice do we have really I express my concern that contemporary fitness culture acts as if health and healthy aging were all in our control when it’s not. 

So yes, love your body if you want, if you can. But sometimes anger is just fine too. Right now I’m not that impressed with my knees and I’ve already said goodbye to a slew of minor misbehaving organs: gall bladder, thyroid, tonsils, adenoids…

Can’t say I felt much love for my gall bladder through all that pain. 
 

Published by Sam B

Philosopher, feminist, parent, and cyclist! Co-founder of Fit Is a Feminist Issue, co-author of Fit at Mid-Life: A Feminist Fitness Journey, published by Greystone Books.

2 thoughts on “On having an “it’s complicated relationship” with your body”

  1. YES. Agree with you. Thanks for making me feel not as alone about this. Said goodbye to my thyroid 10 yrs ago (cancer, autoimmune), many current body parts and systems being royal pains, causing difficulty and challenge and fear (more tests, etc. to come, and some things may not be fixable or fixable any time soon – don’t get me started). But I’m still here, still fighting, and know it could be worse. (And I occasionally think how amazing it is I can do anything some days, and give myself credit for continuing to keep trying.) I try to acknowledge that it’s tough (my subjective reality and my situation) but stay positive and choose to be happy and practice gratitude as much as I can. Simple not easy.

  2. Yes! I would also say that after multiple pregnancy losses, your relationship with your body is very complicated. It’s been 7years since my last loss, and also in that time I was diagnosed with a chronic pain condition. I try not to hate on my body, but it’s hard some days not to to feel utterly betrayed by it, even so many years later.

Comments are closed.