08/01/2024
The topic of body image feels like it’s in a weird place right now. It seems like you have so much talk about each end of the spectrum and no not much talk about the middle ground.
One end of the spectrum is saying that you should love and accept your body no matter what, and you shouldn’t want to change your body. And the other end of the spectrum is saying you need to have a snatched waste and a thicc dump truck to be considered healthy.
In my opinion, both sides are a little right and a little wrong, but we also need to talk about the middle ground.
First off, there is no definition for a “healthy body.” Nor should there be. A healthy body is going to look different for every individual person. What’s healthy for me isn’t necessarily healthy for Donna Dumbbell. The number on the scale does not define a healthy body. Improved blood pressure, lowered resting heart rate, a healthy relationship with food and exercise, improved cardiovascular health, ability to do activities you enjoy, overall sleep quality/quantity, regular hormone cycle… these are all factors you should look at when talking about a healthy body.
Next up, you can love and accept your body AND STILL want to make changes. Accepting your body does NOT mean you aren’t allowed to make changes. If you are overweight, you can love your body and still realize you need to make changes to feel better, to improve your overall health, and to feel better doing activities you enjoy.
Lastly, not everyone needs a snatched waist and a thicc dump truck. I’m not saying those aren’t great perks of strength training. But let’s focus a little less on training for a specific body part and focus a little more on training for performance, overall health, and to support the activities we enjoy doing.
