I don’t talk a lot about body image–not because I don’t have thoughts on it, but because I don’t want to say the wrong thing or be insensitive. However, the fact of the matter is that I was incredibly insecure about my body for a long time. Unfortunately, I think this is an issue that affects everyone at some point: There’s always media images telling us what is and isn’t acceptable, and what is and isn’t considered to be beautiful. Now with social media, we are constantly exposed to “flawless” images of friends, models, influencers, and others–many of whom appear to be super confident about themselves and how they look. In part because of how much our lives are on display, I think it’s more difficult to today than ever before to become secure in your own skin. That’s why I want to talk about how running has affected my body image for the better—especially when there is so much already out there about the link between negative body image and running.

Here’s something I don’t usually admit: I originally started running to lose weight. In my early teenage years, I carried some uncomfortable extra pounds around my waist that at the time were probably just due to not hitting puberty yet, but in the moment, made me feel hideous. I didn’t love the person who looked back at me in the mirror. I hate to think that my relationship with something I love so much now began as a vain endeavor, but it did. The summer between eighth grade and my freshman year of high school, I cut out all snacks in between meals. I would eat a single Lean Pocket (lol, remember those?) for breakfast, and started running for 20 or 30 minutes in the evenings. At the time, I hated running, but I equated the practice with burning calories. Continue reading “On Body Positivity, During NEDA Month” →