Every Body is a Beach Body

As school came to a close, everyone was worried about getting in shape for the bikini season. People tend to start going to the gym more in the months leading up to summer to achieve their ‘summer body.’ 

This toxic term has recently become more popular due to social media. On TikTok, influencers can be seen sharing workout routines and “what I eat in a day” videos while they, too, are trying to get into better shape for the summer. The problem with this “summer body” stigma is that it is suggesting that to have a summer body, you need to work out and be incredibly skinny. 

This idea is particularly harmful because it isn’t accepting of other body types. It also promotes unhealthy and possibly disordered eating habits, diminishes self-love and encourages working out an unhealthy amount. High school and college students tend to be the hardest on themselves when it comes to body image, especially women. Social media apps such as TikTok promote unhealthy behaviors and standards. 

It’s hard to remember that everybody is a summer body, because people use social media to post pictures of themselves at their very best. Most of the pictures we see of our favorite influencers and celebrities are fake, staged and promote an unrealistic body image. 

Self-love is a hard thing to accomplish, but taking time to learn and accept yourself is always incredibly important. That's not saying it's unhealthy to go to the gym, eat healthily or strive to lose weight. It simply means that these goals need to be accomplished in a healthy way. It also means understanding that most of what we see online is fake and unrealistic. 

Instead of spending time worrying about yourself or the way you look, focus on having fun this summer. Go enjoy that ice cream cone, skip the gym to tan on the beach with your friends, and just have fun. Everyone is too busy worrying about themselves anyway!