So recently my Inner Thigh Gap printable workout was featured on the College Candy Body Blog. On Tumblr, this post got nearly 3,500 reblogs/likes which is pretty cool. I constantly get emailed about how to achieve the “inner thigh gap” so I thought it’d be a resourceful thing share with you guys. However, the positive reaction that this post received on Tumblr WAS NOT mirrored over at College Candy.
It all started with this comment:
Miss Anonymous (who was the only commenter who was anonymous btw) received a ton of feedback on her comment on how the Inner Thigh Gap workout promoted eating disorders. 40+ comments later we got people saying things like:
Courtney: “Oooh, I think I get it. Working out is “bad” because it means you aren’t happy with you. Forget that it might be healthy, give you energy, and boost endorphins (making you even more happy with you). No we just don’t want to upset the defeated people, so we’ll defeat the confident people and make it an even playing field.”
Leiahna: ”Dear ‘Anonymous’: If you really have enough time to sit around and look for ways to twist words and meanings to the total opposite of what they are actually saying, maybe you should first of all, do the workout cause someone so defensive about this subject obviously does not have the inner thigh gap, and then take your two cents to someone who really cares.”
Allison: “I love how every time a fit woman is shown, people are quick to call it an ‘eating disorder’. Seriously…some people are ridiculous. Stop trying to hide behind your laziness. I do yoga and I jog, and I’m in very good shape and I have this gap. I can assure you it has nothing to do with an eating disorder, and everything to do with taking care of myself. ;)”
Casey: “Since we come in all shapes and sizes, naturally big, naturally small, naturally in-the-middle, how is a picture of a skinny girl exercising promoting an unhealthy image? Or telling people how to tone their legs unhealthy? Why is a picture of a heavy girl eating a hamburger not promoting an unhealthy image? It is, but no one’s actually going to say it because you could damage her self esteem, (apparently skinny girls don’t have self esteem issues) If that picture was posted and someone said, “she needs to put that down and eat some celery” that person would be vehemently attacked. It’s the same thing as calling a skinny girl anorexic, or saying she needs to eat a cookie, but since they’re “skinny” that’s ok, because apparently they already have a leg up and we need to knock them down to size. You know you’ve seen it, we’ve all seen it, skinny girls get put down to raise larger peoples self esteem and it’s just as wrong as calling someone fat.”
Robyn: ”What is an inner thigh gap?? Just when you stand up with your feet hip distance apart and your thighs don’t touch? If that is it, that is so silly! I have curvy (but toned thighs, thank you hot yoga!) and guys love them!”
WOW.
I did not expect that much controversy on such a small workout post. There seems to be a very fine line between motivating people to look/feel their best and promoting an unhealthy body image.
Obviously, I did not make this workout to say “hey you need to workout to get an inner thigh gap because that’s the only way you can be beautiful.” I made this because I wanted to teach you something, I wanted you to learn something, I wanted you to have the tools to create change/gain strength if you wanted, and lastly…YOU ASKED FOR IT!!! :P
Plus…even if it’s just in the title, how is “How to get an inner thigh gap” any worse than “Muffintop Meltdown” or “6 pack Abs”? Remember…let’s be real here…the title is for catching your attention. What you do with it is up to you. My hope is that you do the workout to build strength.
Even though I was kind of surprised/appalled by the comment Anonymous left, I’m glad she did because it brought awareness to my responsibility as a fitness blogger. I get emails asking me for things ranging from lower belly pooch workouts to how to tone your face (yes really) and now I need to more carefully evaluate what’s right to post for our community. I have a responsibility to influence you as positively as I can.
Yes I do post a lot on food substitutions and exercises for so called “trouble zones”, but I am in no way trying to say “hey, you need to lose weight.” I want to be here to encourage you to live a clean and fit lifestyle. Fit to feel good. Fit to have confidence. Fit to be vibrant. Fit to live longer.
Anyway, tell me what you think? Should I be more careful in titling my workouts? Or who cares!!??
Who cares.. Your message and what you stand for is much bigger then slim legs. People need to learn to look beyond the title maybe do some research into your blog. Where they will quickly discover your obsession is to your health and well being ! You don’t have to name that workout to cause a stink, foods a touchy subjects with everyone and nothing’s more personal then your own body image . Sp let people debate away ! Keep doing what your doing ! Your changing life’s, even of girls that used to dance with eating disorders and a very distorted reality of “health”!
Personally, I think the name is unfortunate.
In reality, some women will have an inner thigh gap, and this will happen at a range of sizes. Some people will be their absolute thinnest/leanest and lowest possible body fat and it won’t happen. The “inner thigh gap” is a very very common image in the thinspo blogs/pictures, and represents the epitome of thinness for these women. For other people it is a measure of fitness. In reality it is a combination of lean enough legs and wide enough hips for it to happen. So it could be hard work or it could be genetic.
So I think it is a little unrealistic to promote this image (and so many models are photoshopped into having a gap. I can see the concern about promoting eating disorders. I think you could have chosen a better name, like rockin’ toned inner thighs or even a tongue in cheek one like “Better than a thighmaster.”
I have absolutely no desire to have an inner thigh gap, but I definitely want super toned legs.
Hmmm, ok. So let me get this straight. There are numerous workouts titled by what they target but anonymous doesn’t like this one? How about Anonymous goes to fashion headquarters and ask them to start using models where i can’t see knee bones.
I found this website by googling How to Get an Inner Thigh Gap! So thank you Cassey cause you have given me the advice i was searching for. By the way, love this site. I’ve already added to my favourites. AND i see you recently came down my way to Oz. I hope you liked it here. It hasn’t been the greatest weather though.
Thanks again, and keep it up!
Just want to add that i did the inner thigh workout this morning and loved it. I wasn’t sure how long it would take me so i could only fit in 3 rounds before i had to get ready for work. In the 3rd round my legs were shaking! I love the heel pulse – OMG!
Oh, Anonymous, you silly goose. Exercise is a positive, beneficial, medicinal thing. It can be abused, but so can any other medicine. It’s up to the person using it. And using exercise to attain something isn’t bad, even if it’s only to get a certain bodily aesthetic. If Anonymous is opposed to this workout, then they should also be opposed to a how-to article or video on hair-curling or getting rid of a blemish.
Maybe Anonymous is just a bit overly sensitive to anything having to do with body image. Which I suppose makes sense, given the massive amount of people who dislike their bodies simply because they aren’t “perfect”. But you are not the enemy in the body image war (a bit of a dramatization), you are definitely an ally. Anonymous just doesn’t realize that.
you’re funny :)
I think this can be somewhat of a vicious cycle. The people see things in the media that tell them that it’s not ok to have a belly bulge or to have their thighs touching, so then they come to you, a trusted professional, to tell them how to get rid of it. It’s not your fault that you’re giving people what they want. It’s each individuals responsibility to choose appropriate health goals for themselves.
Then there’s also the battle that rages between too skinny and too fat. Obesity is a real problem that needs someone like you to encourage people to exercise and eat healthy, but at the same time we want to make sure that people aren’t hating their bodies. I think that all of your videos are very encouraging, you’re beautiful and adorable, and you have a totally normal view on food/eating/exercising etc.
I’m loving these exercises, because the inner thighs are one of the hardest areas for me to tone up. I won’t get the inner thigh gap because of my body shape/structure, but I’m hoping for toner thighs. Trust me, I get the title and no, I do not think these exercises promote eating disorders.
Hi Casey,
I know this post is really old now, but I just read it and wanted to say that Anonymous is sillllly! There really isn’t any other word for it. You have the most positive and inspirational blog and what’s more than that, you’ve given our community the tools to make a positive change. Thank you so much!
Erin