Sports
Wellness Without Pressure: Running and a Light Life with Lary Nascimento
Discover how Lary Nascimento and Girls Who Run demystify wellness, seeking a more authentic and lighthearted life, free from exhaustive performance.
The Girls Who Run episode with Lary Nascimento questions the "wellness economy" and the excessive demand for performance in all areas of life, including well-being. The hosts and guest share their perspectives on finding lightness in running and daily life, prioritizing self-knowledge and human connection. A deep reflection on what it truly means to live well.
On the Girls Who Run podcast, hosts Mari Real and Ma Fanti once again welcomed influencer and model Lary Nascimento for a revealing conversation about how the concept of well-being has become an exhaustive task, a product, and an aesthetic. The episode, aired by Stemma Sports, addresses the controversial "wellness economy," social pressure for performance, and the importance of reconnecting with a simpler, more authentic life.
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Lary Nascimento: Lightness in Running and the Marathon Challenge
Lary Nascimento, who had previously participated in the podcast during her training for her first New York marathon, shares her philosophy of lightness in sports. For her, running, even as part of her work, should be lived calmly and balanced. Her experience in the New York Marathon was "wonderful" and taught her about discipline and self-knowledge, helping her organize her routine amidst a busy life.
The Marathon as Active Meditation
For Lary, the marathon cycle, which demands great dedication, has become an active "meditation." Dealing with anxiety, she finds running a space to reconnect with herself, free from distractions. "I don't think about anything, folks, it's really crazy; imagine for an anxious person, dear, I'm not thinking about anything," she states. Both Mari Real and Ma Fanti echo this sentiment, highlighting running as a rare opportunity to silence the mind and live in the present. Lary also mentions her experience with CrossFit, which taught her about self-overcoming, without comparative pressure.
Decomplicating "Wellness": From Product to Purpose
The central discussion of the episode criticizes the transformation of well-being into a burden. What once meant health, balance, and quality of life has now become "routine, product, feed, and ultimately, an aesthetic," according to the hosts. The "wellness economy" is seen as a market that elitizes well-being with expensive supplements, complex routines, and an image of unattainable perfection, often targeting a specific niche of affluent white women with time and money.
What Is True Well-Being?
Lary and the hosts question the term "wellness," which has become jargon for "selling and profiting" rather than promoting good living. True well-being, they emphasize, is a broad concept encompassing physical, mental, social, financial health, and interpersonal relationships. It's the combination of pillars that contribute to a lighter life, without the need for performance or consumption. Mari Real's grandmother is cited as an example of a full life and well-being at 94, having never focused on consumption or performance, but rather on healthy habits and genuine relationships.
The Pressure of Performance and the Elitization of Sports
The guests and hosts reflect on the "fatigue society" and the constant need for performance in all spheres. The idea that "we are always in a hurry to achieve things" leads to extreme behaviors, such as cheating in races (e.g., the Rio Marathon with nearly 500 athletes disqualified for shortcuts), seeking artificial results to meet external and social pressure.
Responsibility and Inclusion in Sports
Lary Nascimento highlights the lack of social responsibility among many influencers who promote a well-being unattainable for the majority of the Brazilian population. As a Black woman from the favela, she sees the need for representation and to make sports and well-being more accessible. "I don't really champion this wellness banner, because it's not something I believe in, it's not reality," says Lary, who is proud to inspire other Black women to run, adapting the sport to their realities. She emphasizes that elitization strips away the beauty and meaning of sports, transforming something enjoyable into a burden.
Self-Knowledge and Hobbies Without Pressure: The Path to Lightness
For Lary, the key to dealing with pressure is self-knowledge. Early in her modeling career, she learned to filter expectations and avoid comparison, understanding what works or doesn't work for her reality. She advocates for the importance of having goal-free hobbies, activities practiced purely for pleasure, without any demand for results or social media sharing. Taking time for oneself, sometimes by coloring a book or learning a language for fun, is fundamental.
The episode concludes with an invitation to reflect: well-being is what makes you feel good. It's crucial to respect one's own time, routine, and reality, avoiding excessive demands and the pursuit of unattainable perfection. In a world where the population feels increasingly lonely and the capacity for dialogue diminishes, reconnecting with the basics – caring for the mind, body, and relationships – becomes an act of resistance and a path to a more authentic life. Lary and the hosts reinforce that well-being doesn't have to be complicated, elitist, or a product, but rather something lived with freedom and comfort, exploring movement in one's own way. How about seeking your next finish line or adventure with Ticket Sports, partner of Girls Who Run, without worrying about proving anything to anyone? Or perhaps, participating in the Corre com Arte event, seeking connection and exchange of experiences?
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