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Improving Body Image Through FitnessBy Donna S. Ginter "I got up this morning and felt disgusting. I hadn't exercised for a week. So, I went to the gym, rode the bike and lifted some weights. When I got home, I looked in the mirror at myself and thought 'not so bad'." – Angela Body image. It's a complex phenomenon directly related to how we are feeling about ourselves. Angela's body did not look noticeably different after she worked out (not after one work out anyway). So why, when looking in the mirror, did she see a more physically appealing body? The answer is simply because she felt better. She felt more physically fit, stronger and more confident. This feeling affected not only the way she saw herself, but I can bet, it affected the way everybody else saw her too. I cannot emphasize it enough: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER. How we see ourselves and how others see us is a relatively subjective matter. Women are notorious for pointing out every flaw on their bodies. Recently a woman came to a step aerobics class after a three week absence looking very down. "What's the matter, Ann?" I asked. "I haven't done anything for weeks. I'm the heaviest I have ever been and I feel like every time I take a step, my whole butt is jiggling." Now if the truth be known, I didn't notice that Ann's body looked any different than the last time I had seen her. I just noticed that she seemed depressed. Second, no one had noticed her jiggling butt until she decided to point it out to the entire class. Now, every one of us was trying to get a look at her backside. First, do not call attention to everything that is wrong with your body. No one is paying as much attention to it as you are. Second, stick with your exercise program. It has a positive cumulative effect (just as a lack of exercise has a negative cumulative effect). What we tend to forget in this physically-oriented world is that our bodies and our minds are one. A lot of people treat their body as if it were a separate thing; there is me and there is my body. If it were only thinner, firmer, if it just wasn't "in the way," then I could get on with my life. But the truth is your body is a reflection of your emotional state. Think about it. In the year 2005, signs of health consciousness are everywhere. Low-fat food, health clubs, and athletic gear are multi-billion dollar businesses. Given this fact, one would expect a well-toned society, right? Wrong! As a nation we are becoming more obese than ever. So despite the false image we try to purport, either individually or as a nation, the truth of our emotional discontent is revealed in our declining physical state. Change your thoughts and you can change your life. Think of being active as a way of not only lessening the circumference of your thighs, but also as a way of getting rid of emotional debris. Remember, when you hold onto "stuff," eventually, inevitably, it will manifest in your body in the form of weight, lethargy, aches and pains, or illness. So the next time you exercise, think of what's going on in your life, let it come up, and then let it go. Literally, work it out. Then, replace any negativity with a positive thought. Practice appreciation - find something to be grateful for. Over time, your new emotional state will be reflected in your body. Get healthy. You'll thank yourself for it. |