The fitness and diet industries have been spreading underlying messages of fear for a long time now. They have taught us to squeeze in workouts even when we are exhausted. They have taught us to push just a little bit harder even when your body is asking you to stop. They have taught us to count the calories burned, to accept the shaming language of your body needs to change, to look in the mirror and always strive for more improvements, to keep buying all of the things to help reach “x weight” which means that you will then be deemed worthy. To “punish” yourself for eating “too many calories..” because if you can just get to the gym all will be fine. To workout harder so you can “cancel” out the cake you were “not supposed” to enjoy the day before.  

It’s a no wonder we have such a weird negative, on and off again, relationship with exercise... But it doesn’t have to be that way.