A New Fitness Campaign Is Shaking Up What It Means To Be In Shape

by Ada Guzman

When U.K. agency Sport England found that many women are not participating in fitness activities due to fear of judgment and stigma about their bodies, they decided to do something about it: January 12th saw the launch of brilliant campaign #ThisGirlCan, which encourages  women of all shapes and body types to go out there and get their sweat on.

Research by the Sport England showed that women between the ages of 14 and 40 are less active than their male counterparts—and not because “sports aren’t for girls.” Three quarters of the women surveyed wanted to be more active, but their anxieties over being “the wrong size, not fit, and not skilled enough” stopped them from getting to the gym, the pool, or the field.

Jennie Price, CEO of Sport England, says: “Every single woman I have talked to about this campaign—and that is now hundreds—has identified with this, and it is that fear of not being ‘good enough’ in some way, and the fear that you are the only one who feels like that, that we want to address.”

To address that insecurity, the video portrays women of many different shapes and sizes working out—sweating and swearing and grinning like the fabulous gals the are. Because as many of us know, this is how we all look working out: kinda smelly, kinda sexy, and completely kickass.

The ads have gained popularity—and received pretty great responses. Twitter fans of #ThisGirlCan have complimented the campaign on its tone and message: Some even said that seeing the ad motivated them to get back to the gym.

We’re so thrilled that this bold, body-positive campaign has hit the ground running. Remember, ladies, whatever you do: You jiggle, therefore you are.

Images via Self, The Guardian, and Sport England

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