(Photo Source: wework.com)
Fitness influencers have a lot more than body image to worry about these days
Fitness influencer Cassey Ho of the Blogilates fitness channel on YouTube is defending herself against critics who say her announcement that she is trying to actively lose weight is concerning for her personally and harmful to the body positivity movement at large.
Ho, a certified Pilates instructor, founded Blogilates in 2009 and blends traditional Pilates movements with fun music that viewers can try for free from their own homes. As part of her routine and mission, she often preaches in her videos that exercise is not just about how you look but how you feel.
Ho has been known in the past to an outspoken advocate against body-shaming and preaches self-acceptance. A few years ago, her video “The ‘Perfect’ Body,” went viral.
Recently, Ho reexamined her relationship with blogging, saying that she “realized” that she “wasn’t being authentic” because she was self-censoring. This led her to do her “90 Day Challenge,” a “personal journey I want to embark on to get in the best shape of my life — mentally and physically.”
For the “mental” part of the journey, Ho will try to blog every day for 90 days, without worrying about what people think. For the “physical” part, she will attempt to lose 16 pounds and slim down to 20 percent body fat.
Her challenge has sparked a discussion online about whether body acceptance inherently means not focusing on weight loss. While some support Ho, others commented that they were because Ho focused so much on the scale.
Ho responded, saying that she just wants to challenge herself in a way that involves “getting healthier, increasing your confidence, feeling happier, and getting stronger.”
By: Maytinee Kramer
