Fitness Blogger Goes Viral For Not Shaving Her Legs In Over A Year

A fitness blogger is sharing more than just her workout routines on social media.  The blogger decided to stop shaving about a year ago, and is now embracing her natural beauty-- hair and all.  Last month, she posted a viral video about her decision to stop shaving, inspiring young girls everywhere.  Read on below.

Fitness blogger... Morgan Mikenas is an Indiana-based blogger who has documented her fitness journey on social media. But now, she's sharing a different part of her life: Mikenas posted a video to YouTube last month titled “Why I Don’t Shave.”

Fitness blogger... The now viral video features Mikenas sharing her reasons for deciding to toss out her razors and embrace her body hair. She hasn’t shaved in over a year and has no plans to do so in the future.

Fitness blogger... In an interview with Vice magazine, Mikenas reveals why she decided to stop shaving, and her reason is incredibly empowering. “I feel like it's an act of submission to the male dominated culture we live in. I want to mindfully make decisions for myself, and make choices that serve my purpose,” she says.

Fitness blogger... Mikenas refuses to allow other’s ideas of beauty to dictate her own. “Shaving my legs makes me feel powerless. When you make decisions for others, specifically a decision that will make others see you a certain way, a way that culture has designed as 'sexy and beautiful,' you lose your power,” she tells Vice.

Fitness blogger... After a long road, the 20-year-old blogger has finally developed a healthy relationship with her body, and now she’s hoping she can encourage others to do the same. This is part of why she decided to make her now famous video in the first place.

Fitness blogger... Mikenas tells Vice that since being different is so hard, she wanted to inspire others to change their thinking, and practice self-love. Her decision to stop shaving is part of the reason that she feels comfortable with herself and her body. She hopes her journey of self-acceptance will inspire others to take similar journeys.

Fitness blogger... Part of her message is that beauty is doing what makes you feel good. For Mikenas, that means letting her hair grow out, but for others, it can be entirely different. The main message is to be comfortable and happy with your choices, and ignore what others think.

Fitness blogger... She encourages everyone to make choices that feel authentic to them. “There is no wrong way to define beauty, because it is subjective. But please don't mindlessly make decisions based on things like TV and famous people and literally anything that's not yourself,” Mikenas says.

Fitness blogger... Of course, when anyone makes a rebellious act of loving their differences openly, there will be naysayers. But luckily, there will be many positive people as well-- at least that’s what Mikenas says she has encountered so far.

Fitness blogger... “I've gotten all sorts of responses from the video I posted. From the most hateful to the most supportive. But honestly no one's opinion or judgements can bring me down or make me feel 'bad' about myself. I'm only trying to please myself,” Mikenas tells Vice. Bottom line? Don’t let the haters get you down, and let your confidence come from within.

Fitness blogger... Mikenas knows everyone’s journey to self-love is different, but for those who want to follow in her specific footsteps and grow out their body hair, she offers up some advice. ”For someone who's thinking of not shaving, but is concerned about being teased, I just want you to know that self-confidence is your superpower. You can be immune to criticism by being fearless. Practice acceptance — for others and yourself,” she says.

Fitness blogger... Learning to love and accept yourself isn’t easy, but Mikenas is a prime example of the benefits of doing so, since she is now living her best life. She is taking care of her body and doing the things that make her feel the most comfortable with herself.

Fitness blogger... Her journey to the place she’s in now started from a place of insecurity. She had grown up being told body hair on women was less than desirable. This created an insecurity that drove her towards excessive grooming, in an effort to fit in.

Fitness blogger... Mikenas tells Vice that she was once made fun of by other girls for her amount of leg hair. Everyone has grown up believing that women are meant to shave, but she rebels against that societal notion, opting to go the natural route, which has made all the difference.

Fitness blogger... Of course, Mikenas knows that quitting shaving isn’t for everyone, and she wants people to find their own way to embrace their bodies. “The purpose of this video is not to shame people who do shave, I just want to speak on how it has helped me become more comfortable within myself, and maybe inspire others to do something that makes them feel confident," she tells Vice.