Beach body is not a thing

Let's play a game of fantasy and visualization. Let's try to imagine how we would approach the warm season (assuming it actually arrives, eventually) if we hadn't been taught that we need to be thin, tanned, and perfect by May or June. Or how we would be feeling now if the pressure of choosing the perfect swimsuit (meaning one that is flattering and trendy, of course) for weekend trips to the city pool or for our holidays wasn't hanging over our heads like a sharp sword. What would we be doing now? Probably engaging in a productive hobby, and in any case, feeling more serene and less troubled by the first rays of sun we see, less hesitant to show off our favorite skirt. It's a shame that this imagined and hypothesized fairy-tale world isn't real, not for everyone and not at a collective societal level, between pretty privilege, patriarchy, and generally absurd beauty standards shaped around privileged and photoshopped bodies. So how do we tackle the infamous beach body thing? By ignoring it and eliminating it from our lives and minds, one step at a time. Or at least trying.

What is the swimsuit challenge? Nothing

The "prova costume" (the literal translation could be swimsuit challeng) in italian refers to that time of year when you have to undress in public, showing your body on a sunny beach or at a luxury pool bar. A big event that, according to what we've been taught, we need to be prepared for. And preparation must begin at least in spring, if not in January. This concept is relatively new and modern, and it is absolutely artificial. A body, if you think about it, is ready to wear a swimsuit at any moment. Unless it physically cannot be exposed to the sun or water, swim or walk, and even in those cases, there are tools and aids that make it possible or easier. Everything else is just superstructure. A few extra pounds and some out-of-place body hair do not affect the seaside experience in any way, except mentally, and we are not facing an exam we can fail. Easy, right? Not exactly. We're talking about conditioning, and it’s very complicated to dismantle and then remove these, piece by piece. Even though it’s worth trying, if not for us, at least for those who come after us.

The Beach Body and the Continuous Quest for Perfection

In English, a similar concept is expressed in an even more insidious way. The term is beach body. As if there were beach bodies and bodies that simply can't go to the beach. The truth is, as long as we chase these impossible body ideals, we will never be satisfied. If we're thin enough, then we won't be toned enough, victims of skin imperfections, an insufficient tan, and who knows what else. If we really based ourselves on these things, we’d end up never going to the beach again. It's a shame.

How to Lose Weight? We Don't Care

It's not made easy for us to move beyond all these conditionings, quite the opposite. As soon as the temperatures exceed 23 degrees celsius magazines, social networks, people in our lives, TV programs, and advertisements start filling up with clichés and invitations to think about our body and what it means to reveal it in public. Do you want to be ready for the swimsuit challenge? Do you want to show your legs? Are you beach ready? And your abdomen? Don't even think about spontaneously planning a vacation without booking a wax or a tanning session, or an anti-cellulite draining massage. Oh dear, sorry, if you wanted to wear a bikini, you should have thought about it earlier (about 6 months earlier, depending on your consistency and dedication). If you're not conforming, you're out. In every sense. Here’s the perfect summer diet for you, even last minute. And who cares if it needs to be sustainable and healthy: the important thing is to lose weight. Fast. Too fast. If this string of invitations, all at once, seems violent, think that it’s what we endure at different levels and intensities every day. Fighting against it and actively rebelling is the only thing we can do. It becomes a matter of survival.

Gratitude for a Functioning Body (Regardless of Size)

Speaking of survival. We are so focused on hating our body or taking it for granted that perhaps too often we don't realize that it is thanks to our body that we swim, walk on the shoreline, do laps in the pool, play beach volleyball and paddleball, and explore unknown cities. Our body, cellulite and hair included, drags us to work every day, allows us to dance, and carries on a life that, although imperfect, gives us moments of joy, friendship, sharing, love. And so maybe, between one insecurity and another, we might as well think about showing it off, proudly.