Navigating Body Image Pressures as a Woman Athlete

Being a woman in sport means constantly living in a body that feels like everyone’s business.

From coaches to teammates, friends, family, social media, and even strangers online — everyone has an opinion on what your body should look like.

👉 Be strong, but not too muscular. 

👉 Be fast, but don’t lose your curves. 

👉 Train like a pro, but stay feminine. 

👉 Eat for performance, but don’t eat 'too much.'

💥 It’s exhausting — and it’s real.

1. Feeling Like Your Body Belongs to Everyone

As a woman athlete, it can feel like your body doesn’t belong to you anymore:

• People feel entitled to comment on your muscles, size, or weight.

• Strangers online think it’s okay to judge your body instead of your talent.

• Family and friends who don’t understand sport make comments that get stuck in your head.

• Coaches sometimes focus more on what your body looks like than what it can do.

  
  

👉 You work every day to perform — but instead of being seen as strong, powerful, and skilled, your body is treated like a thing for others to judge.

2. The Double Standard: Perform but Look a Certain Way

Women in sport live in a double standard that no one talks about enough:

• “Be strong, but not too strong.”

• “Be fit, but don’t be intimidating.”

• “Be confident, but don’t take up too much space.”

  
  

So even when you’re at the top of your game, you might still wonder:

💭 “Do I look okay in this kit?” 💭 “Are people judging me for how I look, not how I play?”

💡 Truth:

• Your body is a high-performance tool — not an ornament.

• There is no one way to “look like” an athlete.

3. Where These Pressures Really Come From (and Why It’s Not Your Fault)

Let’s call it out clearly:

✅ A. Society’s Expectations of Women

• Always be thin, soft, small, 'feminine.'

• Don’t show too much strength or size — even if that’s what your sport requires.

  
  

✅ B. People Who Don’t Understand Sport

• Friends, family, classmates, online followers — people who don’t know what it takes to perform, but still comment:

“You’re getting too big.” “Wow, you eat a lot.” “You used to be prettier before you trained so much.”

👉 These comments cut deep — but they are based on ignorance, not truth.

✅ C. Inside Sport: Sometimes Coaches and Teammates

• Coaches obsessed with weight, size, or 'looking fit' rather than focusing on performance.

• Teammates comparing bodies, creating silent pressure.

4. How Body Image Struggles Can Affect Your Performance and Mental Health

When body image pressure gets inside your head, it can lead to:

🚩 Obsessing over weight or size. 

🚩 Restricting food or overtraining to change how you look. 

🚩 Feeling ashamed of your body in training or games. 

🚩 Anxiety, sadness, or feeling isolated even when surrounded by teammates.

💡 This is serious. And you deserve help and support.

5. Fighting Back: How to Protect Your Body and Mind

✅ A. Focus on What Your Body Can DO, Not How It Looks

• List 3 things your body has done for you this week (training, winning, recovering).

• Celebrate performance, not appearance.

“My legs are strong enough to sprint the full game.” “My arms hit that shot.” “My body keeps showing up.”

✅ B. Curate Your Social Media to Lift You Up

• Unfollow anyone who makes you feel bad about your body.

• Follow athletes who show real, powerful bodies in all shapes and sizes.

• Block trolls — no one has a right to comment on your body.

✅ C. Fuel to Perform, Not to Shrink

• Food is fuel, not something to “earn” or “deserve.”

• You need carbs, protein, fat, and energy to play at your best.

• Work with a sports nutritionist if you’re struggling — eating well is part of training.

✅ D. Set Boundaries With People Who Comment on Your Body

• You don’t have to stay quiet when someone crosses a line.

• Try saying:

“I’m focusing on how my body performs, not how it looks.” “Please don’t comment on my body — I’m working with my coaches and team on what’s best for me.”

💡 You get to decide what is said about your body — no one else.

✅ E. Talk to Someone You Trust

• A sports psychologist, a trusted coach, a teammate — you don’t have to handle this alone.

• Body image struggles are real mental health challenges — and you deserve support.

6. Final Message: You Are Not a Body First — You Are a Person, an Athlete, a Competitor

💥 You are not here to fit anyone’s expectations of how a woman “should” look. 

💥 You are here to compete, grow, and be powerful in your own way. 

💥 Your body is yours — not anyone else’s to judge, comment on, or control.

7. Take This With You: Reminders for Every Day

🟢 “My body is an instrument, not an ornament.” 

🟢 “Strength and performance matter more than appearance.” 

🟢 “I deserve respect — from others and from myself.” 

🟢 “I am more than a body. I am a whole person.”

Need More Support?

💬 RIZE has resources and people to help — private, athlete-centered, real talk. Let us know if you want guides, workshops, or confidential sessions on body image in sport.

💙 You are not alone in this — and you don’t have to fight it alone. 💪