This is a sponsored post as part of the “Fit for Summer” Challenge, presented by Dancers Shape and Her Campus Texas.
I don’t like bikinis. I never have. I know there are girls out there who basically live in them all summer and consider them to be perfectly acceptable attire regardless of whether or not there’s a body of water in the vicinity. Bikini season is upon us. I’m spotting them around (not in, of course) the pool at my apartment, at sand volleyball tournaments, and, of course, all over the department stores. The varieties and shapes and colors are endless, but they all have one thing in common – they make me self-conscious.
I’m not sure how we got to a point where the most socially acceptable swimsuit in America is one that accommodates a very limited range of body types, but we live in a country, and on a campus, where the bikini rules. I don’t think I’m the only girl who dreads the obligatory swimsuit shopping trip toward the end of spring. Personally, I try everything else – board shorts, tankinis, “cute” one-pieces – just to make the process a little less painful. I think those are all good options for girls like me who don’t feel like their abs (yeah, we’ll call them that) need to be exposed all summer. But just once I would like to strut into a store with a little bit of confidence and pick from a rack not designed for 40-year-olds. And so the journey begins.
I need accountability when it comes to exercise, and that’s where Dancers Shape comes in. Incredibly caring and supportive instructors who want to see me make progress in the next few weeks are motivating me already. I know they’ll work me hard… my first Shape class with Toussaint Biondi left me sore for two days. However, they make the classes fun and I immediately feel like I’m making progress, so I can’t wait to see what happens over the next month. After all, I’ve already promised to take myself swimsuit shopping in May… and this just might be the year I don’t dread it.