"The Problem with 'Abs In'
The fitness industry's obsession with flat stomachs is a relatively recent phenomenon with dark roots. Historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela's research traces how "core strength" became code for thinness during the 1980s aerobics boom, when Jane Fonda videos sold the lie that a tucked pelvis equals health. This cultural conditioning directly contradicts satya (truthfulness), the yogic yama demanding true alignment between language and reality.
Current research reveals the damage:
A 2023 International Journal of Eating Disorders study found aesthetic cues ("suck in") increase body checking behaviors by 41%
Physical therapist Dr. Sarah Ellis's clinical work shows chronic core gripping contributes to 68% of pelvic floor dysfunction cases she treats
Neuroscientist Dr. Sahib Khalsa's fMRI studies prove visceral shame (like belly shame) lights up the same brain regions as physical pain
At CPY, we've implemented a radical rethinking of core cues:
Functional movement – cues like "knit your ribs together to lengthen your back”
Breath education – teaching functional breathing that supports movement, like expanding the back ribs
Proprioceptive cueing – directions like "Feel your ribs soften toward your pelvis" focuses on internal awareness over external aesthetics
The impacts are profound. One student shared: "Learning I could strengthen my core without hating my soft belly changed my relationship with movement entirely." This is satya in action - not just avoiding lies, but speaking the deeper truth that your body is not a problem to solve.
Ancient yogic texts describe satya as "speech that serves all beings." When we reject diet culture's vocabulary, we honor that wisdom. As poet Sonya Renee Taylor writes: "The body is not an apology. It is the ultimate act of truth-telling."
References:
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela's research on fitness culture: Petrzela, N.M. (2023). Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession. University of Chicago Press.
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226822588.001.0001
See Chapter 3: "The Aerobics Era and the Invention of 'Core'"
2023 International Journal of Eating Disorders study: Calogero, R.M., et al. (2023). "Aesthetic Cueing in Fitness Spaces and Body Checking Behaviors". International Journal of Eating Disorders, 56(4), 789-801.
DOI: 10.1002/eat.23922
Dr. Sarah Ellis's pelvic floor research: Ellis, S., et al. (2022). "Chronic Core Bracing and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction". Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy, 46(2), 78-89.
DOI: 10.1097/JWH.0000000000000254
Dr. Sahib Khalsa's fMRI studies: Khalsa, S.S., et al. (2021). "Interoceptive Awareness and Visceral Shame". Biological Psychology, 165, 108198.
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108198
Additional Resources:
As an eating disorder dietitian and yoga teacher - I agree with this whole heartedly! I think there are many ways we could improve on how we talk about food and bodies within the yoga community. Thank you for posting!