A reported 25 million people worldwide have taken part in Kayla Itsines‘ ‘Bikini Body Guide’ since it was released in 2014.
While the 12-week workout may have helped many people get fit and achieve abs change their lifestyle, there’s one aspect of the program that has never sat well with a number of people – the name.
Despite typically being shorted to ‘BBG’ among its users, the program has received criticism for implying that only a certain type of body is worthy of wearing a bikini.
Now the 25 year old has revealed it’s the one regret she has about her business.
“Do I regret calling my guides Bikini Body? My answer is yes,” she told Bloomberg Business.
A few years in, she’s realised the implication of focussing on getting a body “bikini” ready.
“I wish I’d made it more clear that any body can wear a bikini and that a ‘bikini body’ isn’t my body, it’s feeling comfortable and strong and fit and great about yourself when you wear the least amount of clothing you can wear in public,” she told Cosmopolitan last year.
Watch: Meghan Ramsay on the effects of poor body image. (Post continues after video.)
“‘Bra and underwear body’ or ‘naked body’ didn’t seem to work. Of course any body can wear a bikini. Just put it on.”
This change in attitude meant an important decision when the time came to release an app to accompany the online guides.
The ‘bikini’ was dropped in place of something much less glamorous.
“When I released the app, I called it Sweat With Kayla. Sweat is so empowering. I love that,” she told Bloomberg. (Post continues after gallery.)
