Budge over Valentine's Day we've got a new vibe for February and it's Self-Love. Start being a little kinder to yourself with these 10 ways to improve body image and foster self-love.
#1 When it Comes to Movement Focus on Function Over Looks
Focusing on what your body can do rather than how it looks can vastly improve body image. It's way more motivating to recognise all the wicked awesome stuff your body CAN do.
#2 Don’t Get Sucked into the No Pain No Gain attitude
Don’t push yourself too hard because some dude with a 6 pack or 10K followers said something along the lines of 'if it's easy then it ain't working' or indeed: 'no pain, no gain'. Exercise does not have to be painful in order to be effective. (Read that again!)
#3 Listen to Your Body & Respect It’s Limitations
Listen to what your body is telling you and use that feedback wisely. Some days you will feel like you can push a little harder and others not so much. The important thing is that you recognise and understand the signals that your body is giving you. Ditch the shame or guilt for missing a session, taking a rest day or doing the modifications in class.
#4 Recognise that Health is Multi-Faceted
Just because someone looks the 'picture of health' it doesn't always mean that every other area of their deeper health in in balance. Health is more than physical fitness, it's also our mental health, our relationships, our sense of meaning or purpose, our emotional well-being and our environment. For context: The cost of having a 6 pack could be that your mental health or your relationships are negatively affected.
#5 F*ck The Scales
Do not let the number on the scales define you. You are more than a number, and there are better ways to measure your worth than weighing yourself. There are a number of reasons why our weight fluctuates. And you know what? The scales don't take into consideration all that muscle you've been building with your strength training either!
#6 Eat More Intuitively
Being more mindful of the act of eating helps us to connect with our bodies and be more in tune with our needs. This allows us to honour our hunger and fuel ourselves properly. Give yourself permission to be well nourished - for body and mind.
#7 Audit the Gram (and the rest!)
Constantly seeing toxic messages from companies trying to sell you shakes, detox teas and quick fix programs makes us feel like if we just did that one thing then we would look better, do better, be better. Frankly, that's a crock of shit. Happiness is not a body size. Click ‘unfollow’ on anything that is shame based and makes you feel rubbish about yourself. Instead, fill your feed with accounts that empower you and make you feel good.
#8 Don’t Compare Yourself to a Younger Version of You
I see you reminiscing about the body you had 10 -15 years ago. Now knock it off! Bodies change as we age, and that’s OK. Screw what society tells us about being less attractive and less worthy as we age. This is the beauty industry doing what it does best - making money out of our insecurities. Refer to Tip #7 and take control of what you're exposed to!
#9 Wear Clothes That Make You Feel Comfortable
Wearing those jeans that squeeze you in an awkward place on your tummy isn't going to help you feel good in your body. Your body isn't wrong - the jeans are. Go through your wardrobe and get rid of anything that makes you feel shitty. You deserve to feel comfortable and confident in your clothes.
#10 Appreciate Other Bodies
Expose yourself to a wide range of bodies and find ways to appreciate what they're capable of. Remember that health looks different on everyone. Even if we all ate the same and did identical workouts, we’d still come in different shapes and sizes.
Looking for more? Our Find Your Fire 21 Day Program is designed to help you foster a sense of self-acceptance and grow your confidence week by week. We're starting a second round on Feb 15th - make sure you grab your spot!!
Sending love
Tiff x
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