The Loss Of Femininity In Fitness
The problem with many women, is they think they are in competition with men, which means they end-up wearing the same cloths and working-out the same way.
There’s nothing wrong with this — if that is a woman wants to be less than she can be, and loose the advantage of her grace and femininity. For some women, this statement of strength fits the identity they desire to be - often because the polarity of their core energy is strongly male. However, as a general trend in the way women approach life, it tends to lead them in the wrong direction if they want to embrace all that they can be.
Female empowerment comes not from playing the male game, and trying to be men on an unconscious level, but consciously realising that the true power of a woman comes from how they think, project, interact and create; how they identify themselves through what they wear and the body they desire to sculpt — in a way that makes them feel good about being a woman. Expressing their femininity and exploring the sensual experience life is for a woman.
For most men on the other hand, fitness is an expression of their ego, their prowess - that’s it. How many reps, how many pushups, how many presses, how many kilos - how big are my muscles and how six is my pack. But what for? And who for? What is the identity that is being created here?
One think is for certain, men generally aren’t so involved in the correlation between cloths and body, look and style; they just work-out and work for its own sake. Women who wish to compete in the world of men for equality, have lost their edge, simply because a women is far more adept at doing most things than a man; a strong woman isn’t trying to pull out from years of subservience in a society that suppressed women, the woman of today knows they can be and do anything they want, as the future is more theirs than it is a man’s. The future is about connecting, communicating, empathising, caring, nurturing, and collaborating, not the negative competition of the past.
The future is about exploring ourselves and our core identity, and this starts with asking ourselves why we do the things we do, and who it serves. When a woman looks good — she feels good, and when a women feels good — she looks good. This is a very personal identification, and one that many women are searching for — when they look to discover just how much they can create the body that truly reflects who they are, and wear the cloths that flatter and accentuate the curves that have made the female form a shape that has inspired artists and sculptures across the ages.
How a woman holds herself, the way she walks, the way she talks, the way she moves, all are her identity — as much as what she thinks and says. She is a holistic work of art, constantly shifting and shaping to meet her mood and desire for expression. Yet in our modern world, the androgynous way many women look seems to have replaced all that was stylish and sexy about being female, with trying to be a man and a woman at the same time. Rather than working to love ourselves for who we uniquely are, the way fitness is approached is almost a regime to beat ourselves up for who we think we are not.
Fitness for many women is about sweating hard and working out, but not thinking about why and what for. There is no thought in reps and weights, no eye for the considered development of a curve or a line; a look beyond a muscle. In fact, many women are wearing their bodies out, through exposing their joints to potential injury and damage by working-out without a mind. The average fitness program runs to no pain–no gain, with no notion of what the gain will actually be, except a worn-out body in later life.
Ballet is all about precision and technique, thus sculpting the body-line and form for aesthetic reasons, as well as maximising physical capability — in terms of movement, strength and stamina. It’s the ultimate stretching, shaping, and defining discipline — for women and for men, that regardless of how much yoga, Pilates or gym work a person has done, takes them to the next level. It’s fitness — but with a reason, it’s fitness with consciousness.
A woman has the capacity to enjoy all aspects of her male and female polarities, she has the ability to choose what to eat and how to manage her body — so she can wear the cloths that make her express herself in the way she wants. It’s her style, but in terms of classic styles, there are established lines we all love. These timeless looks are what makes us feel like we want to, they make us feel individual — because we can bring cloths to life in our own unique ways - in or out of the gym, at work or at play.
Every day is a stage for a woman to show the world her beauty - her inner shine and her outer grace. Ballet fitness is simply the pallet, the bushes and the canvass for you to work out your work of art — consciously. You.
Kern Frost
Partner Ballet Body Sculpture
Kernclinic.com