A post shared by Dorothy Beal | #irunthisbody (@mileposts) on Mar 4, 2017 at 4:29am PST
“I think we can all agree that we are worth more than a photo captured at a race. Far too many of us let a single photo steal joy,” she added. “It’s a single photo and we need to take back any power that photo steals.”
RELATED: This Woman Took A Picture Just Wearing Tights To Make A Powerful Statement About Body Image
Even though 90 percent of women have cellulite, it still can have power over our self-esteem. Commenters shared their own similar experiences in support of Beal’s message. “I had the same thing after my first race I hated how I looked in the photos but I just remember what a feat it was! Glad I’m not the only one it momentarily got down,” one commenter wrote. “I so related to this! I have to remind myself that despite the dimples and wrinkles, this is probably the strongest I’ve ever been,” wrote another.
As the creator of #IHaveARunnersBody, Beal shares a lot of body-positive posts encouraging women to be proud of what their bodies can do.
#tbt to @marinecorpsmarathon a couple of years ago STILL one of my favorite race photos EVER even though I don’t like what I’m wearing, I’m doing something weird with my hands and why I wore that hat I’ll never know!? BUT man every time I look at this picture I think ……WOMEN rock we can do anything – ANYTHING – we put our mind to! @rundashie #irunlikeagirltrytokeepup #ihavearunnersbody #lovemyshape
A post shared by Dorothy Beal | #irunthisbody (@mileposts) on Jan 26, 2017 at 6:19pm PST
True story: skin moves when you run same girl, moments apart. We all post the best pictures of ourselves – don’t compare your worst to someone else’s best social media should work for you – not against you – if it’s bringing you down – take a break or analyze who you follow #irunthisbody #ihavearunnersbody #rnrdc
A post shared by Dorothy Beal | #irunthisbody (@mileposts) on Mar 10, 2017 at 5:03am PST
Beal is one of many women using their platform to get real about their body “imperfections.” Supermodel Ashley Graham shared a photo of her cellulite in in February, saying she was proud of her “lumps and bumps,” while fitness blogger Anna Victoria shared candid photos of her belly rolls. Let us hope that 2017 continues to be such a body-positive year!