skin had become a nice place to live in

Pre-lockdown, my body was a willing receptacle for pints of beer, cigarettes and sandwiches. My body had become this doughy thing I carried around with me. The only interaction I had with my physical self was the realization that my skin is brown - a fact that set me apart from my largely white social circle. It was something I came to define myself by.

Working out had become a vital lifeline to my friend, empowering him in the face of an anxiety-inducing virus. But it had also allowed me to feel embodied for the first time in my life. Exercise had stopped being a vain activity I had condescendingly convinced myself I was above. It was an enlivening reminder of the very stuff of my existence. This brown skin had become a nice place to live in.
Ammar Kalia

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jun/26/pandemic-epiphany-fitness-working-out