(Skirt: Faithline Clothing Co; Shirt: Old Navy; Shoes: Target)
Hi, Lovelies!
I have been on a roll lately with this topic, so I figured why not keep It going?
Whether you attend a gym or not, this post can still be applied to you.
Let’s be 100% completely honest: Going into a gym can be intimidating. Going to the gym dressed differently than everyone else can add to that intimidation x 100. I get it. I have been there, and I want to help you get over that fear.
Whether you are a young person in school who is afraid to be called out for dressing different, a professional in their workplace, or a mom who is just dying for some gym time, we are going to go through this!
The first time I walked into a gym, I was so incredibly nervous. I didn’t know where anything was, what anything was, and I was wearing a skirt. I felt a little odd and out of place, and in my own mind, I felt like a target. Albeit, my logic was wrong, but in that moment, that was what I was feeling. Even when I was younger and would run around the neighborhood in my skirt, I felt like sometimes people were staring . . . and maybe they were!
You see, it took a long time for me to realize that my fear was spurred by the fact that I thought people cared, when in reality, no one cared that I was working out in a skirt! They even thought it was pretty cool that I was sticking to what I believed, even in the gym. Many ladies in my current gym have even started wearing skirts to workout because they realize the coverage it offers!
In public school I was picked on mercilessly for the fact that I was . . . different. I am sure many of you can relate to this. Sometimes, as a child, I would wish that just for a moment, when the bullying was at an all-time high, that I was just “normal.” So you see, I understand the fear. I understand the moments where you may wish that for just a little while, you could be “normal” and not stick out.
So for that I say, here is a list of all of the pros that come with being “a peculiar people”:
- MOST people will admire the fact that you are dressing differently in the gym. In a day of a lack of commitment, people recognize and respect the commitment that comes with dressing modestly.
- I am lucky to have the gym that I do (not all gyms are created equal), but even in the many gyms I have visited, I have never received degrading comments. People respect that you respect what you believe.
- It’s a witness! Like I said before, many women have started wearing skirts in my gym. Beyond that, it is a great conversation-starter. If people are staring, it is most likely out of curiosity, and curiosity is good! Don’t be afraid of curious looks; embrace them as a chance to let your light shine.
- When you put on a skirt and do athletic-type things, people think you’re a real live superwoman . . . no joke!
- We live in a world that is so inclusive. We are told to accept everyone. There has never been a century such as this one that has been SO accepting of the diversity in this world. That means YOU!
As for a list of cons . . . well, I can’t think of any. ?
So rock that modesty, boo, in and out of the gym. You are amazing, beautiful, and so extra snazzy. Feel confident as you are, because you are a child of God, and you may be the only difference in this world some people will ever see!
And besides . . . “Normal” is relative anyways.
XO with so many hugs, a really fluffy pillow, and a quesadilla,
Leah