Every Body Is A Beach Body, And Here's Why | Self Love Sunday

Photo by Ashley Marie Creative Studios

In a Self Love Sunday last Summer, I talked about just wearing the damn swimsuit and getting rid of self doubt when it comes to showing up at a beach or pool in a swimsuit. I know, I know- easier said than done. Consider this Part 2 of that post.

We often hear the term “every body is a beach body”, and I’m going to really dig into what that means, but the basis of it is that everybody, regardless of shape, size, ability, etc deserves to enjoy themselves at the beach without fear of judgement.

Here are 5 reasons you should wear a swimsuit without fear:

1- Your body is your business

Your body belongs to you, no one else. Anyone who takes the time to make your body their business by commenting on it is weird, and we don’t care about their opinions anyway. No one else has the right to tell us what we should and shouldn’t wear based on our body type.

Why did it become socially acceptable to make comments on someone else’s body anyway? I have to assume that anyone that does this is just insecure and incapable of having fun on the beach, so they seek out entertainment in the form of making fun of others. Gross.

2-your body is allowed to be seen

Being overweight has made me realize that sometimes I feel like I’m not ALLOWED to be seen by the world. Like if I’m not aesthetically pleasing to everyone’s eyes, I shouldn’t show myself. This has made me cover myself as much as possible in the past, but I’m done with it. I’m allowed to exist. I’m allowed to be seen. My skin is allowed to feel the warmth of the sun upon it.

3- summer is hot

It’s been years since I’ve been to the beach with just a swimsuit on. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to go into the ocean in a full t-shirt and shorts? It’s heavy, it’s hot, sand sticks to everything. It’s not fun. You deserve to be on a beach in the Summertime in Summer appropriate clothing. In swimming appropriate clothing. I was talking to my grandmother recently about swimming, and she mentioned how she hasn’t been swimming in years, and had NEVER swam in the ocean. I asked her why she didn’t go to the beach some time, and she said she was too old to wear a swimsuit, and made a comment about her body. You aren’t too old! You aren’t too fat, too thin, too covered in blemishes, too anything. We ALL deserve to enjoy Summer in whatever clothing we want.

4- Mindsets need to change

We NEED to wear the swimsuit because it causes a wonderful chain reaction of body positivity. If I wear a swimsuit to the beach, maybe another woman will be encouraged to wear a swimsuit, and another encouraged by her, and so on. Our children need to see all different types of bodies existing, both in the real world and on social media. We need to stop the mindset that only the most beautiful and physically fit people have earned their spot on the beach. The more we just go out and live our lives and wear what we want, the more comfortable others will be doing the same.

5- who made the rules?

If we dig through history and pinpoint the place in time when overweight bodies started to become thought of as unattractive, who decided this? Everyone has a different idea of what beautiful is, and there is no way we can all appeal to everyone on the planet (not that we should want to anyway)- so don’t worry about it. Make your own rules.

D