The Problem with the Summer Body
By Rachel Reardon
We’ve all heard it, and most of us have said it. “Gotta get that summer body!” The summer body is a construct we have created – it is the ideal version of ourselves, a goal for our body image that we strive for in the upcoming months towards summer. I get that it is important for us to have goals to be the best selves we can be. Similar to my article about New Year’s resolutions, I believe that commitments to be better need to be consistent in order to be successful. We will never truly change ourselves if we only create temporary goals. I think that wanting to be healthier, stronger, and more powerful are amazing goals for all people. But the idea of a summer body, a certain idea of how to look, is inherently problematic.
The summer body may be a version of ourselves, but most of us have an image of the ideal body that we want. Social media platforms, magazines, overreaching men, you name it – they all glorify a specific kind of body that makes us feel like we can never reach a certain beauty standard. If you happen to have that kind of body, more power to you. But if you don’t, and even if you do, you have likely felt pressure to transform into a body that you don’t currently possess. The worst part about this whole ideology is that there are way too many expectations – flat stomach but big butt; a C cup but small thighs; pretty face, tan. And you’ve gotta make sure you have no cellulite in your Instagram picture of you in a bikini, right?
Wrong, obviously. But that’s how I feel at least. It’s a constant struggle for women to try to balance out society’s expectations of us – don’t be easy, but don’t be a prude; do well in school, but also stay home with the kids. The list goes on and on. And I know this happens with men, too – I just can’t speak to that experience. It sucks to never feel enough. That’s what these small expectations do to us. They make us feel like we are constantly reaching for some unattainable standard. Maybe we should stop reaching. Maybe we should set goals for ourselves within our limits, and we should be happy with any kind of progress we make. Maybe we should look in the mirror and appreciate the uniqueness of our bodies. No one looks exactly like you. I think that’s pretty incredible.
So, back to the summer body. If you want to feel good this summer, do what you want. But know, first of all, that the best way to feel good is to integrate new steps into your routine all year round, not just when you are wearing less clothes. I get that even that may seem like a hefty goal – believe me, I’m not trying to pressure you anymore than you already feel. I just think that the best way to actually improve yourself requires more than a temporary agreement. And also know that you don’t have to look any certain way. You are BEAUTIFUL. All bodies are beautiful. Screw societal expectations, they are a trap. Know your truth: the truth that you are enough, and you are looking how you do right now is so, so, so beautiful. Self-love is the key to happiness. Know that your happiness is the most important thing, and how you look won’t even give you a fraction of the self-love you need to feel whole. Do your thing, go to the gym, eat healthy – but do that for you, no one else.
