Guess what? It's OK to wear makeup to the gym!

I don't know if you guys know this, but over the course of the last 3 years, I have morphed from a chip-eating, soda-drinking couch potato to a bit of a workout junkie. I spend 4 days a week kicking butt at my Muay Thai gym, and the other 3 days doing Bar Method. In addition, I'm currently doing the 30-Day Squat Challege (this version), underhand and overhand pull-ups, and recently started incorporating hip-hop cardio dance lessons and Zumba into my weekly routine.

About 75% of the time, I'm wearing makeup. Here are a some locker room selfies I took after a rough Muay Thai training session. I typically look like this after most of my workouts.

So you're probably wondering why I'm bringing this up. It begins with a fitness inspiration that I admire on Instagram. Her name is Mimi Kong, you can check out her Instagram HERE. This lovely lady works out hard and takes nutrition seriously, all the while being very sweet to her fans. Here are a few images of her striking some very becoming fitness poses:

Images property of Mimi Kong 

Images property of Mimi Kong 

Getting to my point, I was admiring some of her workout images when I came across a vicious comment from another user:

"Girls that wear makeup to the gym are sluts and whores who aren't really there to get a good workout."

Whoa whoa whoa!!! First, most of the images where she's wearing heavy makeup are for photo shoots, she doesn't actually wear dark eyes and false lashes when she's getting down to business. But even if she did, so what? How is it anyone else's business whether or a not a woman chooses to wear makeup during her workout? And to classify a stranger as a "slut" or a "whore" just because they happen to have a little face paint on while they're doing their crunches is actually quite sad and pathetic. Often, I find that this kind of attitude comes from insecure people with low self-esteem projecting their dysfunction onto others. Sadly, it's mostly women trying to bring other women down. If these girls, who seem enjoy griping for no reason, were actually at the gym to work their butts off, they wouldn't take notice of who is or isn't wearing makeup. What a pitiable existence one must have, to be angry day in and day out based on how others are living their lives. I truly think that one of the secrets to happiness is to STOP HATING and to put that energy towards improving your own life!

Now I don't put makeup on to go to the gym, but if I happen to have makeup on (which I do because I do other things during the daytime before I hit the gym in the evening) I'm not going to take the time to wash it off before I work out. Makeup on my face doesn't mean I'm not there to get a good workout. Trust me, I've done 1000 roundhouse kicks, out-planked my entire class, and suffered 300 punches to the gut by my trainer in a low squat position...all the while with smokey eyes and glossy lips.

Ok friends, that is my rant for the day! Happy Friday, everyone! I'm off to the dance studio for my hip-hop lessons now...eyeliner and all! :D

Hugs,
Cat