Marine Area: “Here’s how to have a beach body”

Rehearsals begin every year during the summer. No, I am not referring to those of high school, but those on women’s body. Temperatures rise and clothes decrease at the same time. The posts and articles on the phantom costume fitting monopolize the web and print media.

As a woman with the prefix “differently” I have always felt a little out of the game. Living in a non-conforming body is like being born a leopard but without spots, there is not much you can do to get the spotted coat, so my reaction has always been to not consider myself in the game.

Then, however, the turning point: the arrival of Body Positivity gave my body the ransom it wanted, making me discover many people who, like me, did not have the slightest intention of obeying certain rules. The Body Positive movement taught us that this damn performance anxiety has no reason to exist, because not only is the perfect body not there, but it is a construct that has the sole purpose of tormenting us to reach models of beauty as much as possible. sometimes unreachable, all while our wallet slowly thins.

And it is here that together with the Bignami to pass the swimsuit test, a series of counter-trend social contents arrive that ironically illustrate us how to have a beach body. There are two steps: have a body, and go to the beach. Easy, right? Well, more or less.

The publication of videos and stories that manage to subvert the classic concept of the beach body, the one linked to a series of measures and canons to be achieved, is certainly a good thing. Scroll through Instagram and be able to notice different bodies, even very far from the current standards of beauty, which enjoy the pleasure of the sea not caring about any judgment, is undoubtedly a great achievement.

But if it is true that in theory a beach body only needs a body and a beach, this is an equation that does not apply to everyone. For some people, going to the beach is not easy and not too obvious. Those with a motor disability can encounter many difficulties in reaching the shore, because for example not all beaches have walkways, and they are not always suitable for every type of wheelchair. Most of the time they stop before reaching the shore, not to mention the presence of connected accessible bathrooms, a real rarity. Furthermore, it is difficult for bathing establishments to have access to the beach chair for the disabled, a very useful aid to be able to bathe and avoid becoming shrimp cooked in the sun. These are just some of the things a disabled person needs to consider when they want to go to the beach. The presence of architectural barriers and the lack of aids prevents many people with disabilities from being able to go to the beach independently, and often they are forced to completely give up on holidays.

In my opinion, these aspects should not be forgotten, because if it is true that Body Positivity has allowed us to rethink bodies from another point of view, it is important to remember that not all bodies have the same needs. And while certain content helps foster self-determination, once again some people are excluded just because we live in a society that doesn’t consider their presence. Enjoying the sun and the sea should be everyone’s right.

So let’s rephrase: to have a beach body it is enough to have a body and go to the beach, a beach that is really accessible to anyone.