Activate & Improve Your Body Image

We are always our own worst critic and being over-critical ourselves can lead to feelings of inadequacy and take strain on our mental health.

As we are continuously bombarded with heavily touched up images in advertising and on social media, it has become imperative that we hold onto our individuality and remember that no two bodies are the same and it is impossible to live up to those unrealistic ideals.

Do you avoid the mirror or only wear certain clothes to ensure that you’re covering the parts of your body that you’re self-conscious about?

Whilst easier said than done, it is important that you take the necessary steps to start accepting and loving your body. By all means, identify areas that can be improved and take the necessary steps to do so, but do not allow negative or derogatory thoughts to dictate how you see yourself.

Activating your body image is a process, one which takes determination and practice.

Try a couple of these mindful tips to get started on your journey of self-acceptance.

LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE

Avoid spending hours scrolling through unrealistic Instagram accounts, or following brands and companies that promote and unhealthy body image.

Photos are often heavily edited to appear a certain way and it is important that you look at all these images with this in mind. Consider that the model is actually also only a human being and it is highly unlikely that they are as perfect as they appear. Remember, what you see might not even be real, this impossible aesthetic is often used by advertisers to sell us stuff.

CURATE YOUR SOCIAL FEEDS

Algorithms on social media platforms will show you what you see, based on what you search.

Make sure that you are following influencers and accounts that promote good self-image, healthy lifestyle choices, that celebrate diversity and leave you feeling inspired and motivated, not drained and depressed. Resist the urge to be sucked in by fad diets or ‘quick fixes’.

Advertisers and influencers will feed on your insecurities to convince you that you should buy their products. Avoid these accounts and rather follow content creators who show you healthy recipes or fun ways to get up and moving.

YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU WEIGH

No matter what shape your body is, the first thing you need to remind yourself is that YOU are so much more than the vessel you live in.

View yourself as a whole person. Consider your talents, your strengths, your soul, your passions and all the things that make you – YOU.

Celebrate these things and nurture them. Choose some affirmations around the things that make you special and practice them every day. Make eye contact with yourself in the mirror each day and repeat these affirmations. If you hear them often enough, you will begin to believe them.

GIVE YOUR BODY THE BEST CHANCE

Your body communicates with you all the time. Are you listening? Take note of the foods you eat that actually fuel your body, energise you and make you feel good.

Don’t deny yourself the things you enjoy, but practice moderation. What exercise brings you joy? Do more of that. Listen to your body when it asks to rest. Start to understand what it likes and it doesn’t.

You only have one body and accepting it, listening to it, respecting it and being kind to it will immediately reap results and therefore change your mindset.

Identify the areas that bother you and speak to a professional about how you can take the necessary steps to start improving those areas, at your pace using a method that is specific to what your body needs.

HATERS GONNA HATE

You are allowed to shut down negative comments. Do not allow the people around you to dictate how you feel about yourself.

No two bodies are the same and no one has the right to tell you what yours should look like. If you are looking for guidance, ask the professionals who want to help you achieve your goals, support your journey and bolster your confidence.

Keyboard warriors on social media and friends and family members who just put you down are simply irrelevant. The only opinion that matters at the end of the day, is yours.

Improving your body image and learning to love your body is a process. You are going to have good days and bad. Be patient with yourself and even more importantly, be realistic.

Avoid making unfair comparisons. On days when you’re feeling a little more down than usual, do something that lifts your spirit. Speak kindly to yourself and remember that you’re allowed to have bad days.

A study conducted by PubMed Central showed that women who improved their body image and practiced being satisfied with their bodies in their current state actually began to self-regulate their eating, improving their diets naturally and without pressure. Starting with positive self-talk and acceptance, eventually resulted in holistically obtained healthy results.

Body20’s unique FitTrac Programme is tailored to each individual’s specific needs. From your diet and exercise programme, right through to your mental health and motivational needs, our team of Coaches are trained and qualified to help you activate your potential.

Book a free demo at your nearest Body20 Studio via https://body20.co.za/demo for a holistic health experience.

When exercising, your muscles experience two types of stress:

1. Metabolic stress comes from depleting the energy stored in individual muscle cells.

2. Mechanical stress is created by physical damage to the structures of muscle proteins.

As the body experiences these stresses whenever you work out, you have to allow it time to repair the muscle proteins and replace the glycogen (stored glucose in liver and muscle tissue) that was used to fuel your workout.

Allow your body the time to repair and refuel, especially between challenging, high-intensity workouts. This doesn’t mean you can’t exercise every day, but it does mean that you need to space out your harder workouts and combine them with lower-intensity workouts.

For example, during a seven-day week, you might have two to three high-intensity workouts, two to three moderate-intensity workouts and one to three low-intensity workouts. There will be some weeks when you’re feeling awesome and can push for three hard workouts, while other weeks you can only handle one really hard workout and a couple of moderate-intensity ones.

Remember, if you’re going through a stressful time at work or home, it’s best to lay off the high-intensity exercise during this time because an accumulation of too much stress (mentally and physically) can be tough on your body.

Feeling stressed or burned out or having a tough time falling asleep even though you are physically exhausted are all possible signs of overtraining and an indicator that you need to allow for more rest time in your workout program.

Down time is imperative. Your body needs it and so does your mind. Taking one day off from lifting weights or pounding the treadmill does not mean that you are lazy, it just means you’re listening to what your body needs.

We know that for many of you, the gym is your happy place and working out is your stress reliever.

Did you know that you can head to Body20 as usual, maintaining your routine and simply incorporate a Relax20 session, which is exactly as the name suggests.

A Relax20 session allows the EMS technology to do all the work, on a low intensity setting whilst you enjoy some light stretching or simply lie still and allow your mind to unwind for 20 minutes.

Not only is the session a fantastic way to take some time out for you at the beginning (or end) of a stressful week, but the health benefits are extensive. From boosting immunity to speeding up recovery after an injury, a Relax20 session also improves circulation and assists with lymph drainage.

An absolute bonus to any workout regime, chat to your Champ about incorporating a Relax20 session into your fitness journey.

Remember, your body is always talking to you. Take the time to listen to what it has to say.

To find out more about the benefits of our Relax20 Sessions, book a free demo at your nearest Body20 Studio.