I saw a meme the other day that said something like…imagine if women were taught from a young age to exercise to be strong, to be fit, and to be healthy. To live longer for themselves, and their families, and to do it because they like it, not because it’s a punishment for having eaten too much, or feeling bad about yourself, or to strive to hit the unrealistic standard society has set.
I feel like the tides ARE turning with that, but not fast enough in my opinion. It needs to come from US…the women ourselves. I can speak from experience as a relatively fit 44 year old mom and wife that it’s taken me YEARS to undo all that our culture has done to my self image over the years. The negative self talk that constantly repeats itself in our heads as women has GOT to stop!
Would you say any of the mean, awful things you likely say to yourself in the mirror to your sister, or best friend?! Hell no!! So why say it to yourself? Your own voice is the one you hear the most, so speak to yourself with kindness and grace. (The same way you’d likely talk to that BFF…maybe not your sis alllll the time, but that’s neither here nor there:)
I’ll say this much. It wasn’t until I really started focusing on and appreciating the amazing things my body can DO today that it couldn’t do yesterday, or a month ago, rather than on how it LOOKS (or focusing on a stupid arbitrary number on a scale) that I began to see true success in the gym and in turn, more honest happiness in my day to day life outside of our four walls.
Let’s change the recording, friends. Change what plays in your head nonstop all day, every day. Ignore all those “get your pre-baby bod back NOW!” or “Summer’s coming. Get ready for the beach!” ads you’re always seeing that target us and our insecurities, and promote a “quick fix.”
Know how ya get a beach bod? By putting on a damn bathing suit, appreciating all that this amazing body of yours HAS done, CAN do and WILL do, and going to the friggin beach!