Black Women and Exercise! When does a typical experience become a cultural one? Who defines what is considered normal versus culturally acceptable? Take for example a woman who decides she needs to exercise. She realizes her health is under compromise and she decides she is going to lose weight, get in shape, and look great! Men, women, and children decide everyday either on their own or by the recommendation of their physician to exercise. However African American woman in particular have numerous social obstacles that discourage them from exercising. Historically African American culture has depicted the ideal black woman as being thick and curvy. Black woman are constantly bombarded by images of curvy ethnic woman in mainstream entertainment, social media, and within their social circles. In order to be considered attractive to their spouses, girlfriends, and families black women are given the burden of maintaining or attaining a full figured body. Consequently, they often sacrifice their personal health to meet these expectations. With black women having a responsibility to husbands, friends, and family to be full figured where and how does exercise fit in to the equation? For too many black women exercise simply does not fit within their social experiences. Cardiovascular exercise threatens to comprise the size of the bust and the backside that their husbands desires. Lifting weights could change their body from a soft “feminine” body to a hard perceivably masculine body. What type of culture does this full figured body expectation create? The full figured body expectation creates a culture that justifies a black women’s fear of losing her physique. As a trainer my black female clients consistently tell me their husbands are fine with them working out as long as they do not lose their figure. Black women of all sizes from slightly overweight to morbidly obese explain that their resistance to exercise has been the fear that it will cause them to have a smaller less attractive body. The women who decide to challenge this stereotype often find that their friends and associates have a similar attitude as their spouses. These socials pressures make it exceedingly difficult to commit to exercise. A black woman’s decision to change her lifestyle in an effort to become healthier is a personal decision that unfortunately can and often will negatively affect those around her. If her friends and associates have not decided for themselves to change their lifestyle then their negative response may discourage her from being healthy. A commitment to a healthy lifestyle often requires significant change. The healthy black woman is changing her nutrition, spending her down time exercising, and openly challenging the stereotype by participating in activities that may alter her body. The healthy black woman no longer has the expectation of maintaining a full figured body with her peers and this reality can put a strain on relationships founded on commonalities. How does the healthy black women’s new lifestyle affect the relationships with family members? Culture is passed down from generation to generation. The expectations that black women fall victim to have existed for decades. Family can be more reluctant to accept change then friends who are closer in age. We learn from our parents what is socially acceptable. A black woman who is not only overweight but taught to believe black woman are not supposed to be thin likely has parents who believe and adhere to the same social expectations. Rarely do you ever see an obese child living with two physically fit healthy conscious parents. A focus on improved health can put a strain on the relationship a black woman may have with her family. The healthy black woman may not indulge in the “soul food” provided at the family gatherings. She may also have less time to spend with family due to time spent focusing on her own health. Additionally, her family may perceive that since she is working on her health that she is “better” or “above” them. The black community has often stereotyped a healthy lifestyle with trying to be or acting like a Caucasian person. Black families that abide by stereotypical black culture values look down on eating expensive healthy food and becoming thin through exercise. So when a member of their own family decides to take on a healthy lifestyle for themselves this can be seen as a form of cultural betrayal. How does a black woman communicate to her family that a healthy lifestyle is solely an attempt to a better quality of life and not a slight on black women’s social expectations? The first step for the black woman is accepting that their personal path towards becoming healthy will have to be a group effort. This will require a conversation with her spouse, children, and family about why it is important for her to live a healthy lifestyle. The black woman that is aspiring to be healthy may benefit from using celebrity examples such as Michelle Obama and Beyonce to prove that a fit black woman is still very much an attractive black woman. A black woman who addresses her family and friends at the beginning of her healthy lifestyle change will significantly increase the likelihood that those closest to her will support her decision. Consider for a moment everything that comes with living a healthy lifestyle. An action plan for communicating to your loved ones is important, don’t miss the 5 step program included here. youtube/watch?v=Hk5sIgEkknM&feature=player_embedded f4lwithtiffany/offer/black-women-and-exercise/
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 11:03:16 +0000
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