Beginner's Fitness Programs

We are all influenced by others. Our parents, teachers, friends, heroines, and other role models probably affect much of the way we live. Some are good and some are not so good. If we want to improve ourselves, we need to choose what is good for us, and follow whatever is truly right for us.

For most of us, this is not easy. For example, a recent study done at the University of California Davis shows more and more women, at least in the Western World, think that they need to have the feminine attractiveness and, at the same time, aggressiveness of Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. This image imposed by movies and stories was of course, created by and for mostly males, but because men are attracted by these “super” women, many women’s perceptions are also influenced.

To some extent this is good, since it can inspire women to be more physically active which benefits their health, but it also can create impossible goals to achieve which results in feelings of self-doubt and powerlessness.

Another study done at Ohio State University also indicates a similar trend. According to the study, women’s appreciation of their bodies is only indirectly influenced by measurable quantities, such as body weight and body mass index (BMI), but strongly influenced by how she believes other people perceive her body. For example, even if you are in the optimal range of BMI, if you notice your boyfriend paying attention to photos of supermodels, you might feel overweight. Yes, we know we should not compare ourselves to others, but it can be challenging.

However, the Ohio State University study also indicates that once women start appreciating their own bodies, they are more likely to eat intuitively responding to physical feelings of hunger and fullness rather than emotional needs or just because there is food available.

So how do you get to that stage? The first step is to pay attention to how your body functions and how you feel about it. For example, when you eat, pay attention to how your body reacts to that food. What happens if you look at the food? How does the body react when you smell it and taste it? How does the stomach feel after eating the food? How do you feel 30 minutes after the meal? Most people in the modern world are ignoring their body signals because of the high demands of our daily lives, and cannot feel what their body really wants. You need to retrain yourself to perceive the weakened signals sent from the body.

Second, find something about which you can be proud of yourself. Even if it is a very small thing such as organizing a to-do list, kindness toward others, or clean fingernails, it must be a part of your body, your personality, or your skills which semi-permanently belongs to you and that no one, except you, can take away.

Then accept your body as it is regardless of what others think. Every time you feel that you are judged negatively by others, go back to step two and find more reasons that you are proud of yourself. Eventually, you can ignore the feeling of being judged negatively by others, and can accept your body as it is.

Once you reach this stage, you can now respect your body, and start taking care of its real needs. This makes it much easier for you to start working out, or to choose healthier food over junk food. Since you are not forcing “workout” or “diet” on your body, it will be a lifestyle change instead of a 6-week battle of starvation.

In short, respecting yourself, your emotions, your soul, and your body is the most important step to improving your body, and your life itself. Enjoy your life every minute!

Sources:
Watching Aggressive, Attractive, Female Protagonists Shapes Gender Roles for Women Among Male and Female Undergraduate Viewers. Sex Roles, 2011
The acceptance model of intuitive eating: A comparison of women in emerging adulthood, early adulthood, and middle adulthood.. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2011

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