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Nicole Kidman’s ripped photoshoot for Perfect magazine has caused quite the stir. Because somehow, it’s still controversial for a woman to proudly flex her guns.
While the 55-year-old’s strong, powerful stance has gained a lot of praise, sadly, you don’t have to scroll for long before you find the negative comments, too.
On social media, there are people claiming Kidman has gone “too far” is “too muscular”, or “looks unhealthy”. There’s also the predictable yet infuriating suggestion that she “looks like a man” or a “prepubescent boy” – which has so many layers of WTF, we don’t even know where to start.
Laura Byrne, the founder of independent studio Fit & Food, says she’s “shocked that still in this day and age people feel the right to comment on one another’s body”.
“We are all different body shapes and sizes and we need be accepting of that,” she tells HuffPost UK. “What should be our priority is mental health and physical wellbeing being first – it really doesn’t matter how someone looks physically as we are all different.”
Personal trainer Cairo Nevitt adds that when you start using the word “too” in front of anything, it’s an insult.
“It doesn’t matter what end of the spectrum you fall on, those comments are harmful,” he says. “I think as a society we need to stop picking everyone apart all the time, and allow people to have autonomy over their own bodies.”
Body-shaming women who have muscles is sadly nothing new, just look at the sexist and racially-charged comments Serena Williams has endured over the years.
In 2020, personal trainer Kayla Itsines also told her 15 million followers she’d been body-shamed since her school years for her muscles.
“Ladies, can we please teach the world that muscles are for everyone, fitness is for everyone, health, weights, training and working out is for everyone,” she said.
“You are not a ‘man’ or a ‘body builder’ if you have muscles. You are strong and amazing and please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!!”
Byrne points out that the idea of being “too fit” or “too muscled” is not only outdated but also sexist, because it’s almost “always aimed at women, you never hear these comments aimed at men”.
And if we’re getting technical about it, it’s actually beneficial for women to build their muscle mass in their 50s and beyond.
“It is very, very important for women to sustain muscle mass as they get older as due to sarcopenia with ageing, muscle mass decreases,” she explains.
“Maintaining muscle mass via exercise and eating nutritious foods can help combat negative effects due hormonal shifts in perimenopausal women, such as bone density loss [and] maintain muscle tone in pelvic floor region. Exercise can boost mood and help alleviate stress.”
Nevitt adds that we never know the story behind someone’s fitness journey, making negative comments even more troubling. He’s head coach at Not A Phase, empowering trans people to get fit and active, and says in the lead-up to his first bodybuilding competition he’s personally experienced fit-shaming.
“It’s really disheartening,” he says. “Whenever I see some do a fitness shoot, and having done some, I think people don’t always understand the journey you have gone on. Beyond the look, actually, it’s all the things you can’t see. The ways in which fitness can improve your mental health...
“I have experienced many life changing events over the years, even most recently losing my trans sibling Shay. Going to the gym when grieving was the best thing I could do. It helped me in more ways than I can articulate. It helped connect back to my inner strength. And that can’t be measured in a photo.”
Who knows what’s behind Kidman’s fitness flex. She may be toning up for a role, working through something at home, or hitting the gym simply because she enjoys it. Either way, it’s really none of our business.
As Byrne says: “There are a lot more benefits to exercise than physical aesthetics – when will the modern world catch up?
“You go girl, Nicole Kidman – looking after yourself!”
Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.
