Feminist reflections on fitness, sport, and health
What are the changes that prompted the new schedule? Kim is stepping away from a regular blog commitment but will post as/when inspired. Bettina is back from parental leave but is re-joining gradually with one post a month. Mina, Susan, and Nat are also posting once a month. Some of the blog regulars are moving to have a consistent day–I’m Mondays, Cate is Thursdays, and Catherine is Sundays. Others are keeping a regular day but writing every other week. That’s Martha, Christine, Marjorie, and Nicole.
Thing were getting messy and it was starting to be harder than usual to keep track of who was supposed to be posting and when. We’re hoping this makes it easier.
See the guest spots? That’s where you can come and join us if you like. Read about how to do that here.
Week 1
Monday: Sam
Tuesday: Christine
Wednesday: Mina
Thursday: Cate
Friday: Martha
Saturday: Nat
Sunday: Catherine
Week 2
Monday: Sam
Tuesday: Marjorie
Wednesday: Nicole
Thursday: Cate
Friday: Guest
Saturday: Bettina
Sunday: Catherine
Week 3
Monday: Sam
Tuesday: Christine
Wednesday: Catherine
Thursday: Cate
Friday: Martha
Saturday: Guest
Sunday: Catherine
Week 4
Monday: Sam
Tuesday: Marjorie
Wednesday: Nicole
Thursday: Cate
Friday, Susan
Saturday: Guest
Sunday: Catherine
The end of August is birthday season around here. Tomorrow, August 31, I’m turning 56 and today, August 30, the blog turns 8.
It’s no surprise, of course, that the blog and I have our birthdays so close together. I started the blog with Tracy as part of our fittest by fifty challenge, two years in advance of our 50th birthday. You can read the whole story here.
Eight years ago to the day I posted A bit about Samantha and Tracy posted A bit about Tracy. Our first real posts were a few days later but that was the day the blog was born.
Since then we’ve grown and changed. 4285 posts under the bridge. This is my 2180th post! Tracy has left the group of blog regulars and others have joined. We’re now a group of a dozen bloggers sharing our voices as they connect to themes of feminism and fitness.
We’ve also hosted more than 200 guests and if you’ve ever thought about joining us and guest posting you can read about how that works here.
Occasionally I start to wonder if we’re needed. And then I see things like this!
Spotted at the bookshop – a table of 48 sports books, 46 by men, 2 by women – we need more women writing about sport & more books about women's sport @Nottswlibrary @feministlibrary @FitFeminists pic.twitter.com/3IeOsvf85B
— Katie Holmes (@RunYoung50) August 29, 2020
You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and we’re “FeministFitness” on Facebook.
The most read post this month was the same as the most read post last month: COVID-19 and the Gym: Building Engineers Weigh In (Guest Post) Thanks Sarah and Cara for laying it out so clearly.
In second spot is Cate’s much loved still menstruating post.
Catherine asks, When is it okay to say “good job” to a woman while she’s in the middle of physical activity. That’s the third most read post of the month.
Fourth is Marjorie’s post Systemic racism looks like the death of George Floyd, denying the science of masks, and our perspectives on dietary privilege.
Fifth is another post by Marjorie, Women are ‘Someone,’ Too.
Catherine’s post Exercising while black: a few women’s stories was the sixth most read post in June.
The seventh most read post was Christine’s post on tricking yourself into getting started.
Everyone is looking for at home workouts. This barely pre-pandemic post on the NYT 6 minute workout is often in our top 10 during these pandemic months. It’s appreciated, Catherine! I think you knew something was coming. This month it was number 8.
Martha’s post on weight stigma and COVID-19 was the ninth most read post in June. It’s a concern here at the blog. Tracy also wrote about weight stigma and fat shaming jokes in the context of 2019.
And the tenth most read post in June was Mary’s guest post on her calm and humorous take on the big race that wasn’t. Love your attitude Mary!
June was a strange month. Bad enough that it’s been memed. Here’s hoping for a better July.
“As mechanical engineers who consult on heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, we’ve been closely following the evolving body of knowledge about how the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus (the virus which causes COVID-19) spreads through the air. We thought some folks might be interested to know some of what we’ve learned, and how that’s affecting our thoughts on returning to the gym.”
Cara and Sarah are guest bloggers, fit feminists, and mechanical engineers thinking about when it’s safe to go back to the gym. This was the most read post of the month by a long shot.
2. What really is okay for exercising outside?
Cate interviews Dr. Michael Gardam, an infectious disease specialist and Chief of Staff at Humber River Hospital in Toronto, and a frequent voice on CBC and Global TV to make sense of some of the tangled messaging about COVID-19 and outdoor exercise.
3. I’m 53 and a half and I’m still menstruating: is this a good thing?
Cate is also still menstruating and this post about that continues to be in the top 10 every month!
4. When will you feel okay about going back to the gym?
Cate puts on her social scientist hat and listens to the bloggers talk about going back to the gym.
“In most of Canada, gyms aren’t open yet, but clearly, they have their feet in the blocks waiting for the starter pistol. It’s understandable — fitness studios depend on class and member revenue to survive, and most have hefty investments in space and equipment. We had an animated conversation about this among the bloggers about our own comfort, and realized that most gym managers/ owners are not likely to err on the side of caution — they want to open, and as soon as they are permitted, they will be looking to their members to tell them what will work for them. So what DO we feel safe doing? I captured the key themes from a few of our bloggers.”
5. It’s Okay, You Weren’t Built for This
Susan reminds us that it’s okay not to be okay with all of this.
“You weren’t built for this and you don’t have to say it’s okay, or good enough, or the same, or tolerable. Day after day, your nervous system seeks and searches and wonders when it can dare to be soothed, when it is allowed to declare a need to just be with, without being accused of. . .something. . .bad. It doesn’t understand and that’s okay, you weren’t built for this.”
6. Women can wear dresses and bike to work. Lots of us do. Get over it!
Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna biked to work in a dress, posted a pic on Twitter for Bike to Work Day, lots of people hated it, but feminists and cyclists of Twitter came to the rescue. Sam chimed in and also blogged about it.
This #BikeToWorkDay, let's continue to promote cycling and other forms of active transportation for smarter, and cleaner communities. 🚴🏻♀️🚴🏿♂️🚴
— Catherine McKenna (@cathmckenna) May 26, 2020
It’s also a great way to stay healthy while practicing #PhysicalDistancing. pic.twitter.com/XzQh4ABac9
Cate is on a roll this month. Sadly it’s still so very timely.
“I’m a white woman, and I’m a feminist. This story breaks my heart, and it makes me so angry. I’m an ally, and #justiceforahmaud has to be my fight too.
Ahmaud was murdered on 2 – 23 – 30. He was supposed to turn 26 today. Run 2.23 miles today with thousands of others, in solidarity.”
8. Still menstruating at 55 1/4 — and still learning new things!
Cate updated her still menstruating at 53 1/2 post to let us know it’s still going on at 55 1/4.
9. Wrong! Sam says that there aren’t just two types of people in quarantine
Memes are sometimes funny but they can also flatten our experiences. Sam says that she’s both the person baking and eating desserts in quarantine and the person exercising lots.
10. Another older post was read lots this month. Here’s Catherine on sleep as a feminist issue.
Okay, it’s no shock, but almost all of the top posts for April 2020 are pandemic related. If you’re wanting to escape covid-19 related material, look away.
I like it when Tracy comes back to the blog. We miss her voice around here. Her post, The “covid 19” isn’t funny, it’s fat shaming and fat phobic, was the most read post by a long shot. More than 1200 people read her post.
One exception to the “all Covid-19 all the time” theme in our top ten list is of course Cate’s post on still menstruating at 53 and 1/2. That was the second most read post of the month!
Martha’s post on mental health and self care was our third most read post of the month.
Our fourth most read post was Marjorie Rose asking if Covid-19 could be the end of Keto and diet extremism.
We’re full of questions around here and sometimes there just aren’t clear answers. Catherine’s post asking if Covid-19 cared what you weigh was our fifth most read post.
The sixth most read blog post was by Nicole who blogged about her experiences with running in these strange times and feeling like a devious runner.
Catherine’s older post on the 6 minute workout was number 7. Home workouts are popular right now!
We’re all indoor cats now, says Cate. Her part 1 of that post was number 8.
We’re also all (fake) epidemiologists now too, says Cate. That post was number 9.
I love it when guest posts get a lot of reads. Thanks Mary for sharing your story What does retirement, Covid19, an orange cast and a cancelled race, have in common? with our readers. That post was the 10th most read post of April 2020.
I am having a hard time believing that some of these posts were written just a month ago. March has felt years long.
The most read post in March wasn’t even about Covid-19! Imagine that. It was Catherine’s post about early mornings.
The persistent demands of early morning self-care
But number two is when the Covid-19 posts begin, with Cate wondering about a feminist response to the pandemic. (Was it even a pandemic then? I don’t remember. It’s all a blur.) Is there a feminist response to Covid19?
The third most read post of the month was about stress eating in the time of Covid-19. Thanks to guest blogger Megan Dean for Stress eating in the time of Covid-19.
Prioritizing your mental fitness was the fourth most read post of the month. Thanks Martha for that important reminder.
Cate had more excellent advice, this time about working from home, something she’s a pro at. See I’ve worked at home for 25 years: my (unorthodox) insights. That was the fifth most read post of the month. I can say I’ve reread it a few times!
And sixth, Cate’s everlasting still menstruating post!
Seventh was Catherine’s very funny rant about bad exercise advice from Livestrong.
Catherine’s more serious post about not changing everything was our eighth most read post in March.
5 great things about Zoom online yoga class was the 9th most read post of the month. Thanks Catherine!
8 Lessons for Living with Uncertainty by Marjorie Rose was the post that taught me the most this month. Thanks! It was the 10th most read post this month.
I blogged about it here first, Women’s bodies and football and racism and being a babe at 50.
And then someone suggested I write about it for The Conversation. Thanks Sandy!
What’s The Conversation? Their tagline is, Academic rigour, journalistic flair. Which I like. I started as a journalist and then went back to school and completed a PhD.
Here’s what they say about themselves: “The Conversation Canada launched in June 2017. The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public. Our team of professional editors work with experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public. Access to independent, high-quality, authenticated, explanatory journalism underpins a functioning democracy. Our aim is to allow for better understanding of current affairs and complex issues. And hopefully allow for a better quality of public discourse and conversations.”
Here’s what I wrote for The Conversation, written in English and they translated it into French:
J.Lo’s body: Distressing or inspiring for mid-life women?
Oh J.Lo ! Source d’inspiration ou de détresse pour les femmes ?
Since then it’s been read more than 40k times. The English post has been shared more than 2k times on Facebook and lots on Twitter too.
I love the traction it’s gotten on Twitter! In the piece I talk about women athletes whose careers have taken off in midlife.
“Kristin Armstrong, for example, only started racing at the age of 27 and won Olympic gold medals at 43. She is the most decorated American female cyclist of all time and the best time trial in the history of the sport. ( She won three Olympic gold medals, six national championships in the United States and was a two-time world champion .)”
She likes being in the same article with J. Lo and Shakira. Turns out Selene Yaeger was a late starter in endurance sports.
I love our blog community and our Facebook page and our growing group of Twitter friends, but sometimes it’s nice to reach out and meet some new people and connect with them about feminist fitness themes. Thanks to The Conversation!
2. Cate is still menstruating.
3. I asked if you could watch The Biggest Loser ironically. My answer is no. Former Biggest Loser contestant Kai Hibbard shared that post and it’s number 3.
4. Our guest Mary Case asks if this is what retirement is like?
5. Climber and guest Lynette Reid goes on the record as opposed to sexist route names.
“When you take up rock climbing, you don’t have that “luxury.” You have entered a subculture where adolescent male sexual humour has had free play. By convention, the “first ascensionist” of a climbing route gets to name the route, and they name it for whatever is on their mind. Sometimes the results are delightful and witty. Names emerge from days of hanging out at the cliff, working hard, shooting the breeze with friends. There’s a rich kind of free association and play that works its alchemy.”
6. Guest blogger and speedy runner Alison Conway blogs about her super Kelowna running community.
7. Cate is taking a breather from bike travel.
8. Catherine has things to say about the New York Times 7 Day Sugar Challenge.
9. Ella Connor, a new guest, writes in favour of small goals.
10. An older post from a guest, On Exercising Under Neoliberalism, by Adriel Trott.
Bonus!
11. What do you do if you hate exercise? The fit feminists take that question on here.
12. Guest Laura MacDonald worries about falling flat on her second day of the new year.
Our most read post of 2019, #1, was Cate’s 2018 post on being 53 1/2 and still menstruating. That post, on what may seem like an oddball topic for a fitness blog, hit a nerve. From the many comments and reposts we learned that Cate is certainly not alone. It’s on our top ten list pretty much every month. (5415)
Our second most read post is a much older one. It’s from 2013 when I blogged about sports reporting, upskirts, and the objectification of women athletes. That post also has enduring popularity thanks, in part, to search engines and the existence of “upskirts” and “crotch shots” in the title. (4593)
One of our newest bloggers wrote the third most read post of the year. Marjorie wrote Doin’ My Part to Keep the Gym a Safe Space for Men back in March 2019 before she’d even joined the regular team of bloggers here at Fit is a Feminist Issue. (3277)
In May, in light of the ongoing Caster Semenya controversy, Martha blogged about sex tests. That was our fourth most read post of the year. (2382)
In 2014 I blogged about CrossFit and women’s bodies. People read that post a lot, and to be honest, I suppose it’s got some appeal because of the images. It’s often on our top ten list and this year it’s number five. (2169)
Who would think vibrators would make for good prizes in women’s sports? Someone did and Catherine blogged about it in May of 2019. That post was our sixth most read post of 2019. (1831)
Eyelash extensions made Tracy feel ridiculous when she tried them and blogged about it 2017. That post was our seventh most read post. Considering eyelash extensions? Go read her post first. (1737)
In 2013 I was feeling exercised about finding clothes to fit athletic women’s bodies. That post was our eighth most popular post. The issue still bugs me. I’m still struggling to find clothes. I might blog about it again. (1565)
Also, in 2013 Tracy wrote that “you’ve lost weight, you look great” isn’t a compliment. That post was our ninth most read post of 2019. (1534)
Another 2013 post was our tenth most read post of the year. That’s Tracy’s blog post on why fitness models aren’t necessarily models of health. These old posts are definite blog classics. (1403)
