Summer-Ready Thighs

I never thought “Summer-Ready Thighs” would be the title of my first blog post. But when you’re fired up enough about something that 140 characters and a Facebook post don’t cover it, then it’s time to get blogging.

My thighs are ready for summer, and not because of dieting.

In fact, I’m tired of hearing the women in my life day after day commenting about the “need” to lose weight for summer. As though if we don’t look like models, we shouldn’t dare put on a bathing suit.

I shouldn’t have to even say this, but you don’t need to be thin to lounge on the beach or jump in a pool. Any body of any size belongs in a bathing suit.  Period.

I’m getting ready for summer with Body Glide. I had heard of the product before from runner friends, but didn’t purchase it until this spring when I began training for a half marathon.

For those who don’t know, Body Glide rolls on like deodorant but creates a stronger barrier in spots where your skin rubs against clothing or other skin. I’m sure there are similar products out there, but Body Glide is what I found at the local City Sports.

https://instagram.com/p/1q5LaRh9xS/?taken-by=lorenealicia

Thanks to another tip from a friend, I also learned – and can now attest to firsthand – that Body Glide prevents chafing in everyday use. I’ve used it a few times now to prevent my thighs from rubbing and chafing under skirts and dresses, even when walking for miles in warm weather. It’s a miracle, and a wonder that I never used it sooner.

I’ve been suffering from chafing and rashes for years thanks to “chub rub” (as I’ve learned it’s called) between my thighs. YEARS. And I know I’m not the only one. Since I started discussing this publicly over the past few weeks, I’ve learned a few folks have long known about Body Glide, including one friend who mentioned it is commonly discussed in fat spaces, and another who admitted she’s been using it for years but “probably would have never admitted this on Facebook a few years ago.”

For years, I’ve had friends and family who knew the solution to inner thigh chafing, but no one was talking about it!

That’s body shame in action, folks. If people loved their bodies at any size, particularly women, we’d talk about issues like chub rub more often and more publicly. A quick Google search turns up an xoVain post, a Reddit threat, and numerous smaller websites and blogs, but I’d never heard of it.

If people, particularly women, weren’t so ashamed of their bodies, there would be more people working to solve simple problems like these, more products like Body Glide on the market, and more public awareness these solutions exist. It shouldn’t take me 26 years on earth, with most of those years spent rubbing my thighs together, to discover such a simple solution.

After my second Facebook post about Body Glide in as many weeks, one of my friends joked that I should be a spokesperson for Body Glide. But that’s not what I want. I want to be a spokesperson for loving your body as it is. I want a world where Body Glide doesn’t need a spokesperson, because we love our bodies enough to talk about problems like chub rub.

So follow my lead this summer. Love your thighs and protect them from chafing. Eat some donuts and go to the beach, and don’t think twice about it.