Fundies and women exercising.

[AtroposHeart]

I don't think this has been brought up before, but it has bothered me.

I have seen fundies on lists for what a woman should be, that they often speak along the lines a woman not having a "rigid" exercise routine or play competitive sports.

I first say it TH when she said that men should not marry women with "rigid" workout routines, or something along those lines.

The problem is that fundie culture has a subtle, but not invisible culture of fat and appearance shaming women in order to look good for their husbands.

How do they expect a woman not to exercise and be "pleasing" to their husband's eye.

[LJD]

I think the objection is that women that are active and strong are less passive, more self invested. Fundies don't want their women to be strong and assertive. I think they are supposed to stay thin through self denial. Dieting has a higher calling. Just my opinion, of course!

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I think they are supposed to stay thin through self denial. Dieting has a higher calling. Just my opinion, of course!

Bingo.

Plus exercising might get you muscles, and no one wants to see that. You're supposed to be (white and) willowy and delicate, needing the menfolk (including your little brothers) to help you with every physical task.

[samurai_sarah]

Bingo.

Plus exercising might get you muscles, and no one wants to see that. You're supposed to be (white and) willowy and delicate, needing the menfolk (including your little brothers) to help you with every physical task.

Plus you're also supposed to be "wholesome and sturdy" and be able to run a 19th century farm*, while carrying toddlers around (doing these things together requires some serious muscle). While being helpless. It's a system that's set up so a woman can't win. There's always something she's doing wrong, always a reason to keep her down.

*Obviously not, when you're fundie royalty, who only romantically wax about the lifestyle, but some of the poorer fundie families - if memory serves- are leaning that way. Only someone who's never done "women's work" without modern appliances, would think that "women's work" was light and easy.

edited for wording

[ThatSnark]

For all her questionable everythings, Candy from Joyful Christian Homemaking is up front about her exercising. She even changes out of skirts and into shorts or pants to do it, and she's up front about it, both for her health and to keep her Clayton Home Provider from straying. I can and will snark on her for everything else, but she's unapologetic about liking her workouts, so I salute her for that; it's clearly not the norm in fundieland.

[TrueRebel1]

Growing up in the 90's amongst fundies, I was taught that a woman could get all the exercise she needed from housework. No need for workouts, yoga, running, or the gym! But when I became the mom of 2 kids in under 2 years, I quickly realized that no amount of vacuuming gets rid of a baby-fat belly. ;-) And I really regret not doing sports or something as a teen; I still have very little endurance and I have a hard time doing the things my hubby likes (hiking, frisbee etc.) which is no fun!

[lilith]

The Maxwell daughters exercise - they walk in the early morning in ankle length skirts so that fewer people see them and use the time to bother god and have yet another little chat to him, but they schedule daily exercise. They also hike and kayak with their families (again in full length skirts).

The Seven Sisters mother promotes some form of aerobics and even changes out of her frumper to pose in a leotard for it. The Seven Sisters also walk for exercise, as a group, in their frumpers. I guess they have to be fit to get off the train tracks in time when a train interrupts their photo shoots.

But I think Jana Duggar joining her mother in weight watchers when she hit puberty and serving up huge casseroles to her brothers while she tucks into a green salad is far closer to the fundie norm. I bet Joy will be joining them at weight watchers this year.

[miffy]

For all her questionable everythings, Candy from Joyful Christian Homemaking is up front about her exercising. She even changes out of skirts and into shorts or pants to do it, and she's up front about it, both for her health and to keep her Clayton Home Provider from straying. I can and will snark on her for everything else, but she's unapologetic about liking her workouts, so I salute her for that; it's clearly not the norm in fundieland.

The photos of her working out make me LOL. I kind of want to comment on her blog & tell her to start doing tricep pushups.

[flojo]

The Maxwell daughters exercise - they walk in the early morning in ankle length skirts so that fewer people see them and use the time to bother god and have yet another little chat to him, but they schedule daily exercise. They also hike and kayak with their families (again in full length skirts).

The Seven Sisters mother promotes some form of aerobics and even changes out of her frumper to pose in a leotard for it. The Seven Sisters also walk for exercise, as a group, in their frumpers. I guess they have to be fit to get off the train tracks in time when a train interrupts their photo shoots.

But I think Jana Duggar joining her mother in weight watchers when she hit puberty and serving up huge casseroles to her brothers while she tucks into a green salad is far closer to the fundie norm. I bet Joy will be joining them at weight watchers this year.

Yes, T Tapp (7 sisters). I did it for a while, as it's one of the few workouts that can be done in my shoebox apartment. I actually had fairly good results, but stopped because some of the moves didn't feel safe (switched to yoga and running). There seemed to be a lot of fundies and/or fundie lights on the forums though - perhaps because it can be done indoors, in a short amount of time, and whilst wearing a frumper?

[lilith]

Yes, T Tapp (7 sisters). I did it for a while, as it's one of the few workouts that can be done in my shoebox apartment. I actually had fairly good results, but stopped because some of the moves didn't feel safe (switched to yoga and running). There seemed to be a lot of fundies and/or fundie lights on the forums though - perhaps because it can be done indoors, in a short amount of time, and whilst wearing a frumper?

If it can be done in a frumper I wonder why she wears those defrauding exercise outfits and poses for pics that she then posts online?

I'd be proud if my body looked like hers after eleventy kids, but it always seems strange, especially as her every day outfits and her daughter's outfits are super modest fundie style.

[nelliebelle1197]

If it can be done in a frumper I wonder why she wears those defrauding exercise outfits and poses for pics that she then posts online?

I'd be proud if my body looked like hers after eleventy kids, but it always seems strange, especially as her every day outfits and her daughter's outfits are super modest fundie style.

Only women are reading those blogs, of course, and women cannot be defrauded!

[ThatSnark]

The photos of her working out make me LOL. I kind of want to comment on her blog & tell her to start doing tricep pushups.

They would do a world of good, as would moving on up from the Barbie weights.... but at least she sort of normalized a workout routine for those sheeplike fundie followers who are unsure whether or not exercise is Godly. :roll:

[2xx1xy1JD]

Is there actually a general anti-exercise view among fundies?

The women-only fitness center near me is filled with religious women (mostly Orthodox Jews, but some Muslims as well). I jokingly refer to the daytime crowd as the Yummy Frummy Mummy types.