Fat Activists: Stop Equating Exercise with Punishment

By Lorra Garrick | Last updated 02/25

It’s all over Instagram: Fat activists equating exercise with “punishment.”

This is an excuse to avoid exercise, whose numerous benefits have been proven over and over with tons of very large studies.

And I’m not talking about weight loss (though that’s been proven as well).

I’m talking about benefits ranging from stronger joints, denser bones to ward off postmenopausal osteoporosis, better brain function and improved blood sugars, to fighting off depression and anxiety, achieving more self-regulation, becoming more self-confident and being able to manipulate the physical environment without a man’s help.

And so many more benefits – and I mean loads more.

But here we have these self-proclaimed fat activists and fat liberationists on Instagram proclaiming that exercise is punishment.

Exercise is punishment for what?

One such fat positivity influencer, Amanda Martinez Beck, views exercise as “punishment” because, in her own words in her Substack article, “Reclaiming Exercise,” she says her mother forced her to play softball, do gymnastics and be on a cheer squad to lose weight.

The Instagrammer once posted an image of herself as an adolescent in one of her other articles. The picture shows a child with notable overweight.

I say this so that readers don’t make an assumption that her mother wanted a straight-size daughter to be skinny.

Based on Amanda Martinez Beck’s over-plumpness as an adolescent, her mother simply didn’t want her to be fat.

The push to be in sports to lose weight left mental scars, so that even long after leaving the nest, Amanda Martinez Beck still couldn’t bring herself to exercise.

But once we reach adulthood (“the age of accountability,” so the saying goes), it’s up to US to cast aside a rancid script by our parents and replace it with some truths.

And those truths are as follows:

We can make the decision to equate exercise with all sorts of wonderful things instead of holding onto childhood trauma related to exercise or athletics.
Every body needs to exercise. This includes naturally thin people.
You don’t have to make weight loss the #1 goal of your workout plan.
You can make the decision to always stick to an exercise regimen regardless of your weight or diet.

More benefits of exercise include meeting new people in fitness classes, mellowing out after a hectic day at the workplace, making your heart stronger and reducing the risk of future chronic low back pain.

Exercise Is NOT Punishment

Freepik.com

If you’ve been finding yourself spending too much time scrolling through Instagram and TikTok, and being rendered confused by what you see, then remember this:

Nobody in this galaxy has ever claimed that their very own exercise routine – workouts that they themselves chose – damaged their self-worth. NOBODY.

Amanda Martinez Beck, along with many other similar fat liberationists, claim that parent-forced physical activity disrupted their self-worth.

And nobody’s refuting that. In fact, parents should avoid berating their child for being overweight, as it can lead to significant negative psychological consequences.

Constantly criticizing a child’s weight and pushing them to lose weight through exercise or sport can cause feelings of shame and lower self-esteem, resulting in emotional distress.

According to a study by Dr. David M. Schvey and colleagues published in Child Development (2013), weight-related bullying or negative comments from parents can lead to greater body dissatisfaction and possibly anorexia nervosa.

The research found that kids who experienced weight-related stigma by their parents were more likely to eat their feelings with junk food or avoid physical activity due to fear of failure or shame.

Women who can relate to the “Exercise Is Punishment” mantra from fat acceptance influencers, along with many of those influencers themselves, have very likely suffered mental trauma from parents who had totally botched it when it came to guiding their kids to a healthier and fitter version of themselves.

You’re Allowed to Rewrite the Script

But again, there comes a point when a woman (and man) must take the bull by the horns and stop allowing childhood shame, humiliation and “punishment” for being fat to live rent-free inside their heads.

Just because their parents failed to be supportive and encouraging; allowed their kids to have access to too much ultra-processed foods; and kept telling them weight loss was the reason for doing a sport, doesn’t mean that these now-adults can’t reinvent themselves and commit to training their body to be fitter, stronger, faster, healthier and more efficient overall.

Stop Assuming Women at the Gym Are Punishing Themselves

There are fat acceptance influencers who automatically assume that women who work out at a gym are punishing themselves, especially if the movements are intense.

Freepik.com/Drazen Zigic

They make this rash assumption regardless of the woman’s size.

Nevertheless, many women and men work out to aid with weight management.

Some start a workout regimen with only one goal – weight loss – but it isn’t long before they fall in love with exercise and relish its additional benefits.

It’s logical to conclude that the average slender or straight-size woman, when asked why she works out, is NOT going to reply, “to avoid having to wear plus-size clothes.”

When an individual’s weight management approach includes exercise, this doesn’t mean it’s punishment!

The analogy is that of assuming a woman, to save more money, is punishing herself by buying all her clothes from thrift shops.

It’s just insane how anyone could go around thinking that workout enthusiasts are “punishing” themselves.

People who think this way need to let go of that childhood trauma.
It’s terrible for their mental health.

However, I must point out that there exist gym-goers who may spend an extra hour on a cardio machine to “offset” a food binge the night before.

It can appear that the gym-goer is punishing herself or himself.

But before we leap to this conclusion, we can reframe it as a form of management — especially if the gym-goer feels that way, vs. is overwhelmed with guilt and feels mental pain while using the equipment.

Remember, the human body was meant to move quite often throughout the day.

That extra hour on the elliptical trainer or treadmill is a lot better than replacing it with sedentary screen time combined with sugary soda and munchies.

Perspective is a very crucial virtue with all of this.

If Amanda Martinez Beck observed my hardcore workouts she’d jump to the ridiculous conclusion that I’m punishing myself, regardless of my eating habits.

Nope. How about, among many other reasons, I want a bullet-proof back and want to be able to bounce right back up after a slip-and-fall on ice?

How about, among many other reasons, I want to be strong enough to prevent a predatory man – using only my body – from forcing himself through my door?

As for weight management, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using exercise (within reason!) to help keep one’s weight under control.

As a former personal trainer at a gym, I’ve never endorsed spending crazy amounts of time exercising to burn off calories.

I believe in working out smart. A smart cardio and strength training program will keep a woman’s resting metabolic rate fired up, even at rest!

This is NOT punishment. It’s management. It’s tactics. It’s strategy.

And it feels so good and rewarding! Those who associate exercise with punishment should stand outside a busy gym and, as people exit, ask them how their workout made them feel.

Not one person will say “miserable,” “lacking confidence,” “crappy” or “worthless.”

Beginners might say “weak” or “humbled.” But that’s okay. And a good personal trainer will tell them, “What you struggle with today will one day be your warmup.”

It’s so unfortunate that many morbidly obese influencers have completely given up hope for themselves and have allowed the echoes of their critical parents to live rent-free inside their heads.