Whether I’m in the Starbucks line, waiting for class to start, or in the locker room at the gym, I feel like I am constantly hearing girls talking about how they “have” to lose weight. It drives me crazy. I feel like body image has become the definition of health. If you are thin or have that perfect “athletic” look, then therefore, you are “healthy”. It doesn’t make any sense at all. Health is not, and should not, be determined by your body image. After the new year, girls are always trying to get on a new health kick and achieve a certain look.
Image courtesy of Yahoo
What is health anyway? The answer means something different to everyone. To some people being free from illness is health. For others, it is a mind, body and spirit thing. Some people believe it is a little bit of both; it really doesn’t matter as long as you know what health means to you personally. More importantly, health is not a certain body type!
Our bodies can do so many things that we can’t see in the mirror. We have our organs for starters. Think about all your brain and your heart do in one day just to keep you alive. It’s actually insane! If you’re feeling like you should get on a better health track in the new year and as we move on into spring, it should be motivated by doing what is best for your body, not doing what is best to get that “perfect body”. News flash, there is no such thing.
We have all heard the healthy diet rant before – eat a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables and treats/processed foods in moderation. It really is not rocket science; there is no need to cut out foods, “eat clean”, or diet. That is not what your body needs. The goal of eating should be to fuel yourself, so you can be your best self. You don’t have to eat a clean or raw diet to get this. The healthy diet has been beaten into everyone. You should eat to nourish your body, brain and heart.
The meaning and reason behind exercise has also been something that has gotten lost on some of our generation. You should exercise because it is good for your body, not because it helps you get a good butt, flat stomach or burns a lot of calories. Exercise decreases risk for disease, it is good for your heart, it decreases stress, and the list goes on. These are the reasons you should exercise. I once saw an Instagram post that stated, “Exercise should be a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment”. I could not agree with this more. Remind yourself of this the next time you go to exercise or come up with workout goals.
The most important part of you that is not determined by your body is your character. Your body 100% does not determine what type of person you are and at the end of the day, this is what people pay attention to. If you are feeling bad about your body or want to make changes in your health, do it for the right reasons. Eat a variable and nutritious diet because it is good for your internal organs and keeps you well-energized. Exercise to celebrate what your amazing body can do. It is time to change the health focus from body image to what is good for your body in its entirety.