Woman shows off scars and stomach to prove all bodies are gym bodies

'if someone stares, stare back'

Michelle Elman wants all women to feel comfortable exercising (Instagram)

A woman is encouraging all women to feel confident in the gym by sharing her own imperfect “gym body.”

Michelle Elman, a body confidence coach and author of Am I Ugly? addressed the stigma that only people that are “in shape” belong in the gym on Twitter, where she wrote: “To the woman who feels excluded by the fitness world, movement is not about the results.”

“All body types are entitled to enjoy exercise,” she continued. “You have as much of a right to be in the gym as anyone else. If someone stares, stare back.”

Along with her advice, Elman shared a photo of herself in a sports bra and leggings after her first run in “years.”

According to Elman, fat shaming is rampant in exercise - which she experienced firsthand when she tried to start running again after undergoing surgery and found she was getting shin splints every time she tried.

To fix the issue, Elman sought advice from a physiotherapist - who told her she would need to either “lose weight or stop running.”

Rather than give up on one of her passions, the body positive blogger turned to another doctor for help - who was able to advise Elman best on how to begin exercising again.

Speaking to The Independent, Elman said: "Unfortunately, the gym is very rarely a body positive place and is often full of shame."

In addition to the comments from her doctor, Elman said she experiences body shaming frequently when she's at the gym - where she goes to recover and strengthen her body after her surgeries.

On Twitter, Elman’s body-positive message received more than 1,000 likes and resonated with women who agreed that the gym should be a place free from judgement.

“Shout it loud,” one person wrote.

Another said: “Yes! Everyone is entitled to experience what the gym has to offer if they want to. Leave your judgement at the door, or ideally in the bin."​