Hi guys! I’ve been wanting to talk about this for some time now, but I’ve noticed so much judgment when it comes to our bodies and working out. I see this quite a bit at the gym, whether it’s judgment of others or even judgment of ourselves. I want to address this because this behavior is mean and not conducive to anyone’s fitness goals.
I’m not sure where this judgment comes from. I think it has a lot to do with an evolutionary trait of social comparison. Leon Festinger, social psychologist, proposed the social comparison theory which states: “it’s part of human nature to make observations about others to better understand oneself.” By comparing ourselves to others, we can see if we’re doing okay or if we’re making progress. It’s not necessarily bad, but if you’re comparing yourself to others to make yourself feel more superior, or you can even feel inferior to the person you’re comparing yourself to can have a negative effect.
Comparing and judging others might make us feel better in that moment but that feeling quickly goes away. We never get to the root of our problem. We need to feel good about ourselves without comparing. WE ARE ALL EQUALS. As for those who compare themselves and feel inferior to others, which is where we start judging ourselves, just remember we are all human beings. We all have our strengths and weaknesses that make us unique! I remember seeing this quote, if you’re looking down at someone, it’s because you’re helping them up!
I invite you to keep an open mind and heart. We are all here to get healthier and improve ourselves. The gym should be a safe space where we can all do that! Before you judge someone else, stop and put yourself in their shoes. We have no idea what people are going through so let’s be a little nicer and patient. Here are some points to reflect on:
- The person you think who needs to lose weight?
- They may have lost 100+ lb and are still working on losing more
- She may have just had a baby so it’s going to take time to lose the pregnancy weight
- They may have an illness or be on medication that makes it harder for them to lose weight
- They’re recovering from an injury and just got back into a workout routine
- The person who’s lifting lighter than you? The person who’s going easy on their workout?
- It might be their first time in the gym, and they’re not sure how to use the weights and equipment
- They have an injury and want to be cautious when it comes to working out so they don’t reinjure themselves
- They’re in pain or having a bad day, and this is the best they can do today
- The person who has bad form?
- Maybe they’re new to the gym and don’t know how to do the exercise – (you can be nice and even give them tips if you know how to do it properly!)
- Maybe they have no idea they’re even doing it incorrectly
- Maybe they’re on their last set and this is the best they can do
We really don’t know what people are going through so let’s stop this judgment. It’s really not our place to criticize others. If you’re judging yourself, remember how awesome and amazing you are! Affirm your greatness! We’re all doing our best, and it doesn’t take much effort to be kind to others and ourselves. Let’s all help and support one another in our fitness journey!
I hope this post resonates with you! I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a long time. If you ever find yourself comparing your progress to someone else’s, maybe use their progress and success story as inspiration! Changing that perspective has helped me so much in my fitness journey and my self-love journey!
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