Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman wants girls everywhere to know their bodies are perfect just the way they are.  The 22-year-old athlete opened up about the bullying she faced in grade school from her male classmates in a recent Instagram post.

"Shoutout to all the boys from 5th-9th grade who made fun of me for being 'too strong,'" she wrote.  "Thanks for forcing me to learn to love myself and my body.  My muscular arms that were considered weird and gross when I was younger have made me one of the best gymnasts on the planet."

Aly says one of the reasons she loves being a part of Reebok's #PerfectNever campaign is because she gets to expand people's views about what "a perfect body type" looks like.  "Don't ever let anyone tell you how you should or shouldn't look.  There is no such thing as a perfect body type," she concluded.

The inspiring photo has received over 186,000 "likes" and has solidified why Aly Raisman will forever be one of our favourite fitness heroes.

Here are two great reasons to do your workout with a partner:  it's more fun to have someone to sweat it out with, and you can do unique and effective exercises you can't do alone!  Try these three moves.

Medicine Ball Russian Twists

• Grab a 5- to 10-pound medicine ball (whatever works for both you and your partner), and sit facing away from each other with your knees bent.
• Hold the weight straight out in front of you and keep your back straight, with your torso at about a 45-degree angle to the floor.
• Twist your torso to the right, passing the medicine ball to your partner.
• Then twist to the left to catch the medicine ball as your partner passes it to you.
• Do 10 reps in this direction and then 10 reps in the other direction.

Partner Wall Sit

• Stand back-to-back.
• At the same time, both partners take small steps away from each other, lowering your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.  Check to make sure you both have your knees directly over your ankles.
• Hold here for 20 to 30 seconds, then walk your feet in and stand up.
• Repeat two more times.

Partner Towel Squats

• Grab a towel and roll it into a long rope with each partner holding onto one end with their left hand.
• Face each other, each with your feet slightly wider that hips-width distance apart.
• Simultaneously squat down, leaning back, until your hips are just below your knees.  Adjust the distance away from your partner if you need to.
• Then stand up at the same time — you can high-five as you come up!
• Do 10 reps on this side, then switch the towel and hold it in your right hands for another 10 reps.
• Repeat two more times.

Maybe it's because women are fighting harder than ever for themselves, or maybe it's because they've finally come to terms with the fact that many of them have anxiety and an aggressive workout is a great way to mitigate it — whatever it is, 2016 was the year of boxing.

While 2015 was an explosive year for indoor cycling, the heavy bag and Everlast gloves dethroned stationary bikes on our Instagram feeds this year.  Let's take a look at some factors in its popularity (and why you should definitely try it in 2017).

Celebrity Power

Celebrities have been drawn to the empowering, fiery workout this past year, inspiring millions of women to slip some gloves on themselves.  Gina Rodriguez, Gigi Hadid, Ashley Graham, Ellie Goulding, and Demi Lovato have all shown off their boxing skills and training on Instagram — and that's just the tip of the celebrity boxing iceberg.

This celebrity influence has helped to generate awareness and excitement around a workout that has long been considered intimidating and inaccessible.

New Accessibility

Traditional boxing gyms may feel noninclusive or intimidating to many newbies, but thanks to the rise of boutique studios offering the sport, boxing is becoming a more accessible workout.

Newer boxing studios like Title Boxing Club, Shadowbox NYC, and Prevail Los Angeles offer boxing classes that are purely fitness focused, and boutique studios like Pilates ProWorks now offer cardio boxing classes as part of their schedule.  This is super key in boxing's rise:  the studios are approachable (less intimidating), and many women can find nearby classes, almost as easily as they can find a cycling class.  There's much more of a comfort zone offered in this respect.

A studio can also act as a safe space to try out boxing before feeling comfortable enough to head to a traditional boxing gym.  Women dabble in studio classes, get a feel for it, and want to take on more — like Gigi Hadid at Gotham in New York.

That said, not everyone wants to box with the intent of jumping in the ring — wanting to feel empowered and strong doesn't always translate to wanting to actually fight, after all.  Boxing offers an incredible total-body workout, and many women want to experience all its fitness perks without ever punching (or being punched by) another person — some are even turned off by the idea, hence class descriptions like that of the Pilates ProWorks MatBox class, stating "No actual fighting or physical contact."

Breaking Barriers For Women

Mindset changes and cultural changes have contributed significantly to the rise of women embracing boxing as a form of exercise.  Until recently, boxing has been considered a masculine sport.  But as the cultural landscape continues to evolve — and women are taking more ownership over their health, bodies, and lives — boxing seems to be the exercise of choice as they blur the lines of antiquated gender expectations.  As a testament to that, women's boxing was added to the Olympics in 2012!

Major Benefits

The rise of boxing's accessibility to women across the country has also exposed the benefits the workout can have, both mentally and physically.

Boxing is therapy.  And while the same can be said for many workouts, there's something particularly effective about throwing some gloves on and punching sh*t.  Boxing — and hitting an inanimate object — is a healthy way to relieve tension and aggression in a safe space, all while processing emotions in a physical way.

Boxing is also an incredible weight-loss workout, helping women shed pounds with an insane combination of cardio and strength training;  combining cardio and resistance training is the best way to burn calories.

So between the anxiety and stress relief and the weight-loss/muscle-building benefits, the women who have tried boxing are hooked, and the popularity of the sport is spreading like wildfire.

We have a confession to make:  we have more than one fit crush from 2016.  We can't pick just one!  And we're sure you're feeling similarly ... there were so many moments of inspiration from these healthy and active celebrities in 2016, and we're grateful for the motivation they provided throughout the year.  Come on, who else watched Teyana Talor in the "Fade" music video and ran to the gym?  (*Guilty*) We're even more revved up for a healthy new year, thanks to some awesome fitspiration from these 14 women.  Here's our list for our top fit crushes of 2016.

Demi Lovato

Demi was a knockout in 2016, showcasing incredible strength and commitment to her healthy lifestyle.  And it's not just physical health she advocates for;  this year she was more vocal than ever about mental health, helping to change the stigma and open up the conversation globally.

Teyana Taylor

Teyana exploded on the scene this year with her unforgettable performance in Kanye West's "Fade" video, and the only thing that potentially eclipsed her incredible dance was her incredible abs.  The singer, dancer, and 25-year-old mum admitted in a Vogue interview that she balances her dance workouts with fried chicken and pizza, and released her own fitness program this year, Fade 2 Fit.

Ashley Graham

This powerful model is powerfully strong;  the 28-year-old stunner has a crazy gym routine including boxing, Bosu balancing, and HIIT.  The only thing more impressive than Ashley's strength is her confidence and the way she speaks up for women everywhere.

Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne is SO addicted to fitness, and it's insanely inspiring!  When she's not working out on set, she's at the gym doing box jumps, doing Megaformer at the Studio MDR in LA, at SoulCycle, or sweating it out in hot yoga at Y7.

Michelle Obama

The FLOTUS has been encouraging health and fitness for the past eight years.  This year, she made the White House Kitchen Garden permanent, "with hope of growing a healthier nation for our children."  She also hosted dance classes for young female students in Washington DC, and supported our Olympic athletes.  Take Michelle's fitspiration with you beyond 2016 with her arm workout that you can do at home.

Lea Michele

Earlier this year, Lea Michele said her favourite workout is hot yoga, but we think she might be lying, because 97-percent of her Instagram feed is pictures of her at SoulCycle.  We're fawning over her healthy lifestyle, and her empowering quotes that she lives by, like this one:  "At the end of the day, we have to remember that what we put out there, it manifests and it creates energy and you should want to be the person that chooses to take that second to do something positive."

Gigi Hadid

Gigi continued to inspire us in 2016 with her burger eating and boxing antics.  Her latest #PerfectNever campaign with Reebok promoted female empowerment and the embracing of imperfections.  Oh, and her athleisure game was fire this year, as per usual.

Britney Spears

Our love for Britney is unfailing, and her love for an active life seems to be unfailing as well.  From her splits in March to her handstand, treadmill workout, and crazy yoga poses in July, to her split leap in September, she gave us plenty of fitspiration throughout 2016!  We also really loved dancing to her new songs this year.

Misty Copeland

This year was huge for Misty — she was cast in Disney's The Nutcracker, and Mattel made a Misty Barbie doll.  She continued to inspire us in 2016, well beyond her workouts, displaying incredible strength and grace, and showing off her skills in Under Armour ads.

Hailey Baldwin

Super flexible Hailey Baldwin is always doing one of two things:  juicing or working out.  When she doesn't have a smoothie in her hand, she's got a Bosu ball under her feet or is showing off her strength and flexibility in the studio.

Gina Rodriguez

The Jane the Virgin star showed off her bad ass boxing skills this year, in between lots of dancing and posing for cover shoots.  Gina has been an advocate for women, has spoken out about beauty standards, and shares #MovementMondays on her Instagram, where she recently announced that she'll be running with the Nike Running team to launch the new Nike+ Apple Watch with Carmelita Jeter.

Jessica Alba

Something we really admire about Jessica:  she's not afraid to post a super sweaty selfie.  Sweat is sexy, guys — never be ashamed of that sweaty face and bod!  Jessica's Instagram is a source of fitness and healthy living inspiration, and it just might prompt you to get your butt to a cycling or Pilates class.

Kate Hudson

Not only does Kate Hudson love Pilates and have her own activewear line, but this year she introduced us to the Booty Belt, and for that we are eternally grateful.  Kate exercised her way through 2016, and shared it all with us on Instagram.

Aly Raisman

Aly Raisman became a celebrity in her own right this year, after leading Team USA's Women's Gymnastics Team to victory.  She showed us that hard work and perseverance pay off, and to never give up on our dreams or ourselves.  Like Gigi, Aly was also recently featured in Reebok's #PerfectNever campaign, where she opened up about bullying and body shaming she's endured growing up.  Strong body, strong mind!

In light of recent comments showing support for President-elect Trump's opposition of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), New Balance is quite literally coming under fire from sneakerheads everywhere.  The controversy started yesterday after Wall Street Journal reporter Sara Germano tweeted out the following statement from New Balance's VP of public affairs.

After Sole Collector shared the news on its Twitter feed, followers started to tweet photos of themselves burning their New Balance sneakers in protest.

It's important to note that Sole Collector's initial tweet on the issue may have led many to believe that New Balance was taking a wholly supportive stance on President-elect Trump.  The company's comments were specifically about TPP, a proposed trade deal between the U.S. and 11 Pacific Rim nations, negotiated by the Obama administration.  If passed, it would be the largest regional trade agreement in history and would strengthen ties between the strategic countries and, most notably, lower tariffs between them.  Opponents of the TPP, who include President-elect Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton, say the TPP would result in the loss of thousands of jobs in the manufacturing industry here in the US, amongst other concerns.

Of all the big-name sneaker brands, New Balance is the last to carry a "Made In USA" label, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the company would have a position on the TPP.  While a majority of New Balance shoes are made abroad, 25 percent of New Balance shoes sold in the U.S. are made in one of the company's New England factories, where more than 1,300 people are employed.  This results in about four million pairs of New Balance sneakers being made stateside on a yearly basis.

When asked to clarify its position, New Balance issued the following statement:

As the only major company that still makes athletic shoes in the United States, New Balance has a unique perspective on trade in that we want to make more shoes in the United States, not less.  New Balance publicly supported the trade positions of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump prior to Election Day that focused on American manufacturing job creation and we continue to support them today.

We believe in community.  We believe in humanity.  From the people who make our shoes to the people who wear them, we believe in acting with the utmost integrity and we welcome all walks of life.  Since 1906, we have carved our own path in being passionately committed to making things at our five factories in New England, even when nobody else did.  New Balance and our thousands of employees around the world constantly strive to better our local communities.  We always have and we always will.

When pressed further, New Balance declined to comment, but told Buzzfeed that is not interested in "getting involved in the politics of presidential elections," and that the comments previously reported were only in relation to TPP.