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Health
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Health
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Health
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Thanks to Irin Carmon over at Jezebel for putting this on my radar: Spanx is now creating workout clothes. Their "Power Pants" will flatten your tummy with the "SPANX-exclusive Slim-X Bagel-Buster." All for $118.
Okay, so I have a couple of concerns. One: What is my "bagel" and why do I need to bust it? Because this sounds like yet another made-up body part. And I am over worrying about those.
Two: Whenever I wear regular Spanx, like under a slinky dress -- I'm no hater, I get that Spanx has its time and place -- I find breathing and basic digestive functions become exceedingly difficult. Now you want me to compromise those things and run around and get sweaty? Ow.
Three: What does it mean when you need pants that make your butt look good in order to go the gym? Most likely, it means you go to the gym to look good. And by "good," you likely mean "different/better than now."
I realize that is not breaking news to anyone who has ever been anywhere near a gym. Or a Lululemon store, for that matter. Spanx is hardly the first to arrive at the bagel-eschewing workout pants party. All too often, exercise ends up making you feel worse about your body, because it's all about whether you can wear those teensy hot yoga shorts or do more crunches than the girl on the mat next to you.
On the other hand, I see nothing wrong with exercising primarily because it feels great and makes you proud of what your body can do (headstands!) but throwing in a little "PS. Also I look hot in these workout pants." I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't acknowledge that, because as I type this post, I'm getting ready to go to yoga, wearing a new pair of ($14 Gap Outlet clearance rack thankyouverymuch) workout pants that do, indeed, make my butt look like two adorable bagels. (See how I just reclaimed that word?) And I was more excited to drag myself out of bed this morning to go to said class because I could wear these.
But it's a tricky balance because we're living in a culture where the ratio is skewed way too far in the other direction. And that makes people not so eager to get their workout on, because they're so worried they won't measure up.
If that's you, and Spanx's anti-bagel-agenda pants are the encouragement you need to get out, get moving, and feeling great about yourself, I say that's $118 well spent. But promise me you'll also try to find the fun in exercise (it's there, I promise, you just might have to try a bunch of different stuff to find something you like) and get beyond the body shame, okay? And also that maybe you'll switch to comfier pants if your internal organs really start complaining?
