Gay fitness

This kind of positive reinforcement can serve as a way to shift negative self-image from within. Surrounding ourselves with people who share our workout goals can be a great way to make fitness fun and exciting, rather than a tiresome chore.

Bristow says another way to keep fitness fun can be, surprisingly enough, to record yourself. The benefits of following gay fitness influencers extend beyond just workout tips and motivation. Hunting for a new fitness plan?

For many, changing how we fitness fitness begins with changing how we think about fitness. Choosing the right exercise style for you and finding queer fitness buddies can make working out less scary. Taking rest days can be just as important as your workout days to avoid injury and to stay in a good headspace.

Exercise can be both freeing and oppressive, depending on how we practice it. When you engage with it positively, working out can become a powerful tool to help you enjoy your life, feel more in touch with your body, and even create a loving community.

From interrogating the negative associations you have with working out to finding fun ways to move your body, read on for eight tips from queer fitness experts on how to make exercise more approachable, fun, and affirming. If you want a larger community to exercise with, group classes — particularly queer-centric ones, if you can find them — are a great way to make friends who are interested in the same kinds of fitness as you.

Gay positive relationship to fitness means unraveling some of these assumptions and asking ourselves tough questions. Honor where you are at any given moment. Some people might find that strength training and lifting might be more aligned with their goals, like building muscle or just getting stronger.

It is important to acknowledge that a lot of toxicity in fitness comes from oppressive systems, says DJ Rock. For some, forms of cardio — like running, dancing, and biking — help them destress by releasing endorphinsbut for others, cardio may not produce the physical results they want or just feel like a chore.

By supporting LGBTQ+ influencers, you are helping to amplify fitness voices in the fitness industry and promote diversity and representation. For gay who want to create a space for mindfulness in their workout routine, yoga might be the way to go. Your goals might change over the course of your life, or even day to day.

Doing what works best for you and is best for your ability level can help create a strong routine by creating positive reinforcement and consistency. Try different activities if you have access to them, from swimming and rock climbing to dancing and hiking.

Bristow tells Them that when we work out too much, we can cause long-term injury and create an unhealthy relationship to fitness. Sometimes an affirming fitness community can take time to build, be outside your budget, or inaccessible where you live. LGBTQ+ trainers, entrepreneurs, and athletes discuss how they overcame obstacles, broke barriers, and found success in the fitness industry—and are now helping others do the same.

In reality, all bodies are different, and what you see on social media doesn't reflect the reality of what being healthy or fit means. You're going to the gym to reveal who you already are.

Gay Personal Trainer Gay

We can also be more conscious about our goals. Fatphobia, ableism, transphobia, racism, and other forms of oppression all impact the way we view ourselves and demand our bodies fit thin, eurocentric standards of beauty. When we throw away this idea away, we make room to center joy in our fitness.

OUT has all the best workout routines, gay fitness guides, and health recipes — geared specifically to LGBT. This, of course, is easier said than done, as gyms can be daunting spaces for many queer people, often out of our fear of judgment from others.