On October 8, 2017, Ashley Graham posted an Instagram clip of her working out—something she does on the reg.
A few hours later, she addressed some of the comments she gets every single time she proudly shows off her progress:
We're sure plenty of women hear similar remarks when they hit the gym. Personally, whenever I sign up for a membership or even mention that I'll be going to the gym, I get asked, "Nagpapapayat ka?" or some derivative of that—as if that's the only way I could better myself.
People never assume it's because I'm trying to gain more muscle or train for a marathon or build my stamina. Nope, it just has to be because my goal in life is to be skinny. *eye roll*
So to give haters a lesson on why fat women go to the gym, Ashley listed some of her reasons. She works out to:
- Stay healthy.
- Feel good.
- Get rid of jet lag.
- Clear [her] head.
- Show big girls we can move like the rest of [them.]
- Stay flexible [and] strong.
- Have more energy.
To be perfectly clear, there's nothing wrong with exercising to lose weight, if that's something you need to help your body feel better. It's just not the *only* reason.
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