Canadian fitness influencer shares 'posed vs unposed' photos in body positive post
Maddie Lymburner is on a mission to be her most authentic self.
Earlier this week, the Canadian fitness influencer took to Instagram to post a trio of photos alongside a detailed and empowering caption that told fans not to believe everything they see online.
In the snaps, the Waterdown, Ont.-native sat in her workout studio in a white sports bra and mint green spandex shorts. In the first slide, she smiled at the camera while showing off her perfectly posed physique. In the second and third slides, the exercise coach relaxed and unposed, revealing her cellulite and stomach rolls to show her followers that natural bodies are nothing to be ashamed of.
"Posed vs unposed. I posted a reel not too long ago highlighting this same idea and the amount of people that commented and said things like 'you have no idea how comforting this is' or 'I needed this' was astounding," Lymburner explained. "It’s easy to get caught up in the social media world and the social comparison that comes along with it. You must remember that this is all a highlight reel…not real life."
The 26-year-old further discussed why it's important she shares body positive content and encouraged her fans to love and accept their authentic selves.
"I will always try to be as real as possible with you. This is why I create follow along real time workouts. No cuts, no perfect angles. Just me, you, and all the sweat/heavy breathing/awkward moments that come along with it," she added. "I’ve realized how important it is for me to step up and use this platform to show you that I’m a real person and I’m not perfect. I have cellulite when I sit down in certain ways, I have stomach rolls, I have acne, etc. These are all normal and no one should be made to feel embarrassed or like they need to 'fix' that about themselves. You are beautiful just the way you are."
Fans loved the transparent post and thanked Lymburner for exposing the realities of the online world.
"I’ve followed you for a very long time and have always admired your strength. I love how real you are and it makes me so happy to see that being fit, healthy, and muscular, doesn’t mean you won’t have some cellulite. This is something I’ve always struggled with and It’s great to see the real side of things. Thanks for keeping it real, you rock!" shared a follower.
"You’re amazing, seriously this is why I chose your workout program! Thank you for being so real for us!" raved someone else.
"Sometimes I feel so self conscious about myself, and whenever I go on social media and see how influencers look so perfect, I feel bad about myself," a fan wrote. "So this is a really good reminder that even beautiful women like you has 'flaws.' This is beautiful, Thank you for posting that!"
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