We are constantly fighting to stay in shape and learning to love our bodies. And with the trend of online fitness blogs, health bloggers teaching quick, nutritious meal habits and a surplus of YouTube videos teaching us how to get a stronger, healthier body in the few free minutes we can find, we have all the necessary tools at our finger tips. The support we get from these online resources is something I take for granted. It's a guarantee that the Tone It Up girls will tell me I'm killin' it during a work out, even when I'm actually lying on my yoga mat, panting, holding on to 5-pound weights for dear life. Founder of Blogilates Cassey Ho decided to show us the side we weren't seeing.
We rarely show our appreciation for the people who are dedicating their lives to help us better our bodies. And we never stop to think about the toll all the negative comments take on these health role models?
In my mind, the women in fitness videos just have to be so much more secure about their bodies than I am. I mean, in their videos, they always come off so strong and confident, and their bodies are healthy and stunning. It never really occurred to me that they would have feelings that could so easily be hurt. It's because we put everything online on a far, distant pedestal and forget that there's a human being on the other side of those work out videos with a real problems and a real life. The fact is, these women are just like me, or you, or the next person. And if I can be hurt by a nasty comment that tears my writing to shreds, it only stands to reason that these beautiful women can get their confidence shaken.
Cassey Ho, famed Blogilates instructor who created POP Pilates, is opening up about all the negative comments she gets from followers. In this video she responds to the cyber bullying by changing all of her so-called flaws:
It's honestly upsetting to watch this woman with a beautiful, healthy body slim herself down, enlarge her breasts and butt to fit a more "perfect standard." In her video description, Cassey says, "What if you could stop all the hate and just photoshop yourself right now, in real life? What would you change?"
Her purpose isn't actually to post a picture of her new photoshopped body and pass it off as her own. Instead, she's trying to show women that we don't need to be photoshopping. She's trying to show what the online hatred has driven even her, someone who inspires other people to treat their bodies better, to feel.
Cassey also gives an honest opinion of body shaming in a video posted on April 10. Specifically, she addresses how "strong" and "fearless" she needs to be for her fans, even while coping with all of the negative comments coming in.
With all the talk of negative comments, I sifted through Cassey's Instagram (which is so worth following BTW) and sure enough, the comments are brutal, unfair and I would never have noticed if she hadn't pointed them out.
For more inspiring videos, great workouts and healthy meal plans, check out Blogilates.
Images: Youtube, Blogilates/Instagram
