Let's Talk Turkey Burns

Every year in the lead up to Thanksgiving, there is a wave of social media posts, emails, headlines, etc. about how to avoid holiday weight gain. Many studios (live or virtual), offer “Turkey Burns” marketed as a way to “earn your pie” or “work off that extra serving of mashed potatoes.” I hate this.

The only turkey it’s ok to burn aka the place card cookies. If you ever need names written in icing, I’m your girl.

This kind of language is so incredibly damaging and when I first encountered it as a 20-something, it really messed with me and my sense of what was normal. To hear instructors that you look up to, people who are supposedly pillars of health say that you should be doing more in advance of a meal or to counteract the effects afterwards, well frankly it starts to make sense. They’re the experts, they must know.

During this year, I have been doing a mix of workouts on Peloton and through SweatConnected. The best thing about these classes is that it is NEVER about “earning” or “burning.” Instead, they’re about community, being grateful for what we can do, showing up for yourself, recharging, and finding time to simply connect with your body as you let the outside world melt away. I am so grateful to be going into Thanksgiving this year as part of these strong communities and I hope that one day they will be the norm rather than the exception.

While I will be working out on Thanksgiving (because it’s just another day), it will not be motivated by pie. (Side note: Am I the only one who sees pie and thinks “But where is the chocolate?”) My Thursday sweat session will be a celebration of the incredible SweatConnected community, a celebration that I can move my body, and a celebration of everything I am grateful for.

I’d love to know what you think of Turkey Burns and if anyone wants to join me in the SweatConnected class (spin via Zoom), I’m happy to send you the info!