Woman asks if she's wrong for exercising in public after being fat shamed by a mom.
Should someone's weight determine what they're allowed to wear while exercising? Are sports bras and bike shorts for super skinny girls only?
Reddit user u/Good_Practice_8441 recently got called out by a mom in the park for wearing 'inappropriate' clothing while exercising. She was wearing the same workout clothes as other women in the park, but she just so happened to be plus-sized.
Now she's asking the internet, 'AITA (Am I The A**hole ) for exercising in the park in workout clothes where there are kids playing, upsetting this weird mom?'
She writes:
So there’s a park w/ a playground in the middle. Me and two of my friends are trying to lose some weight and just look better bc I hit a whopper of a weight, we all kind of got porky over the past few years. We usually meet up to go on walks together and a few times a week we do some exercise at the park using stuff like hand weights, kettlebells, etc.
But yesterday there was this woman with her kids at the playground and she kept looking over at us glaring and scowling. I didn’t notice but one of my friends did. After like 10 minutes of this she came over and started chatting which I thought was normal.
But then she was like “Soooo I guess you girls must be new! This is a family park, as you can see.” We were like, “yeah that’s why we come here” (and none of us are new…) She got a little attitude and was like “Okay so if you know, why are you dressed like that?”
My friends and I looked at each other and were like ???? this is pretty normal exercise clothing, especially when it’s 90+ degrees out. Like I was wearing bike shorts and a sports bra.
I told her I didn’t get the problem and she kept saying “this is a FAMILY park” and then she finally said that it was inappropriate. Like ??? I said okay how is it inappropriate and then I looked over at the playground part where there was a mom with her kids in the EXACT SAME OUTFIT. I pointed that out to the woman and asked her why she wasn’t bothering her and she looked at me and said “YOU KNOW WHY.”
I said no, I don’t know why? She’s actually over there WITH the kids and we’re on the other side of the fucking park? She got kind of like red in the face and was like “ONE OF YOU IS JIGGLING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THE OTHER ONE ISN’T”
I was like “OHHHHHH so your problem isn’t the clothes it’s because I’m fat?” Bc yeah, I'm 5'4 and 200lbs, lol, of course, I'm going to jiggle. She was like “I didn’t SAY that don’t put words in my mouth” I said “No but that’s literally what you were saying”
She kept talking about it being a “family” park and I was done with it and ready for the next exercise so I just said “Okay well all of that sounds like a YOU problem” She said if she sees us again she’s going to call cops for “public indecency”. I just laughed and said, “Okay, whatever Becky.”
Last night one of my girls sent me a screenshot of this woman’s post on the neighborhood app complaining about people dressing inappropriately at the park where there are CHILDREN. The responses were all over the place (and some of them were def in support of us) but now I’m just like ??? Really? AITA?
FYI if you Google “sports bra and biker shorts set” you can see the kind of clothes I’m talking about.
This park mom really thought she was the body police? Oh hell no. Body shaming needs to stop. Women should be supporting and encouraging each other, not tearing each other down. Plus-size women have every right to wear whatever exercise clothes they want in a public space. I promise, your children will not be traumatized by witnessing a woman exercising in a park.
Kudos to this woman for getting out there and working out in 90+ degree heat. I hope she keeps it up. Despite what anyone says, you shouldn't have to dress like a full-blown Amish person just because you're not a size zero.
Reddit agrees, this woman is definitely NOT 'The A**hole.' As usual, they did not hold back on their opinions of the situation.
NTA. I have kids of my own and we see people at the parks all the time in various states of dress for hiking, walking, running etc. As long as you're not flat out naked then idgaf.
I don't think she was ready for that jelly! 😋
But honestly, can't people just mind their own business without having to spew their hateful opinions onto other people who are just existing in the world in the body they have!? Some people really need to get ALLLLLL the way over themselves.
NTA. Wear an outfit to match your skin tone next time ;).
Women shaming women for what they’re wearing bEcAuSe Of ThE kIdS is nothing new to me, but this post is the first time I’ve heard of a woman upset because… her children shouldn’t have to see a fat person?!
NTA at all. There are parks exactly like this where I live & some even have exercise equipment set up as it’s a multi-use park. She was obviously shaming your body. Keep going & just ignore her. Let her call the cops, she’ll be fined for false reporting
I can almost guarantee that ‘ThE cHiLdReN!’ she was so worried about hadn’t even noticed your ‘jiggling’ because they were busy playing, and this woman was the one bothered. Good for you trying to do something for yourself & good for you making her say it (that she was fat shaming you) out loud.
Let her try calling the cops next time & stand there while they roll their eyes at her “ma’am, there’s no rule that a fully clothed person cannot exercise in this public setting 🙄” NTA.
NTA. Enjoy your workouts. They can be a challenge but if you are doing them, might as well have fun and wear clothes meant for the task
God forbid this woman ever takes her kids to a PUBLIC pool or a PUBLIC beach. Where women in BIKINIS 'jiggle' and there are children all over.
sarcastic pearl clutching ensues
NTA, next time do extra jumping jacks to show just how much 'jiggling' you can do.
NTA. It's a PUBLIC park. You weren't hurting anyone and you were appropriately dressed for exercise. She has no authority or even a good reason to tell you to leave or change outfits.
NTA. I certainly hope she never takes her kids to the pool. Because it’s a family place and people dress in WAY less clothes than what you were wearing to work out!