Carrie Underwood Says She Was Pressured Into Staying Out Of Shape

In a recent interview with Bustle, country music star Carrie Underwood revealed that she has been very susceptible to media pressure in the past, and that is what kept her from getting in shape for most of her life.

In the past year or two, Carrie Underwood has been hitting the gym hard, and she has developed a spectacularly toned body. She has also begun CALIA by Carrie, a line of women’s fitness clothing, and she has been going hard promoting the idea that women should be just as interested in muscle-building and body empowerment as men.

Unfortunately, that was not always the case, Underwood admits in the Bustle interview. In fact, for the majority of her life, she says she has given into media pressures and the concept that a woman’s body should look a certain way — namely, petite and slim.

“Sometimes I feel pressure as someone in the spotlight to do things the ‘right way.’ When it comes to fitness, everyone has an opinion or comment. I just try to remember I am doing my best and what works for me, and hopefully that resonates with people.”

Carrie continues that if she had a time machine, the first thing she would do is return to her younger self, who played softball but other than that was comparatively lethargic, and tell her not to bend so easily to external pressure.

Pleasing yourself is the most important thing in life, Underwood insists, and those who are happy with who they are tend to naturally appeal to others. Doing what others deem best is not the way to fulfill yourself.

“Trying to fit into someone else’s vision of you will never make you happy,” Underwood observes.

It is only recently, she concludes, that she has learned to set her own goals and just focus on them instead of outside noise. It must be difficult, though, notes CMT, what with Underwood being one of the biggest names in popular music (and, arguably, pop culture in general).

Ever since she rose to fame on American Idol in 2005, Carrie Underwood has acted as a role model to country music fans the world over. She is a household name, and she has tens of thousands of screaming fans at most of her shows. So many eyes are on her at all times and physical appearance is such an unfortunately large aspect of success for the American celebrity that staying focused on personal goals in regard to fitness rather than listening to what others say is undoubtedly a challenge.

It is also no doubt mentally exhausting to be so closely watched all the time, and Underwood says that working out so much has the added bonus of helping her deal with that added pressure.

“I try to take care of my body and in turn, it keeps my mind feeling healthy as well,” says Underwood. “Working out serves as a stress reducer for me. If I’m having a long day, or I’m on the road, getting my workouts in keeps me focused and energized. Endorphins are real!”

Over a decade after it skyrocketed to the forefront of the country music genre, Carrie Underwood’s career is at an all-time high — Billboard reports she was just selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Having such a strong and empowered role model who is so prevalent in 2017 is definitely healthy for young girls, and hopefully the message of organizations like Underwood’s CALIA will play as large a role as Carrie herself in the future of mainstream American media.

You can check out more swole photos of Carrie Underwood and other CALIA models getting in shape at CALIA’s official Instagram page.

[Featured Image by CALIA by Carrie/Instagram]