Everyone hits the gym for different reasons – for some those reasons may be purely about aesthetics, for others it may be to build stamina, train for an upcoming event, or just because it feels good to move! Whatever the WHY, most gym-goers will agree on one thing – exercising does amazing things for your mental health and has countless other benefits which go above and beyond the way that your body looks.
These benefits include the release of endorphins (the happy hormone), resulting in a sense of accomplishment, improved posture, better flexibility, stronger muscles, improved sleep, stress release and so many more! This Mental Health Awareness Week, body image is the talking point. While some people are enjoying the benefits of the gym, others are not, and negative body image could be the reason.
Body image can be defined as the subjective concept of physical appearance and can be either negative or positive. Studies have shown that people who perceive their body image in a negative way may experience high levels of social physique anxiety. This could result in people who see themselves as “overweight” or “under-toned” avoiding crowded areas such as gyms where they feel more exposed.
Fear of being judged and self-consciousness of how your body looks are difficult to tackle, but there are ways to combat this kind of fear:
Change your attitude
Try to remember that the “ideal body type” that is perceived in magazines is not real – these images have been photoshopped and are usually just a way of making consumers invest in diet products! I can guarantee that you will not walk into a gym full of fitness models, and that everybody in that gym will feel self-conscious about something, even if you think that they are flawless.
Toss those toxic image pills and replace them with positive body talk – stop talking negatively about your body and give yourself a compliment!
Take small steps
If you are just getting into fitness and may be uncertain about the gym-life, start in your room. YouTube is a repository of millions of people like you. Follow their fitness routines and commit. You will be surprised at how quickly your confidence grows.
Fitness gear
Now that you have that confidence, you may want to burst beyond the walls of your room and get into a gym nearby. Don’t get overwhelmed with gym garb. You can wear whatever you are comfortable in, as long as it is breathable and doesn’t restrict blood flow.
Go for it!
Taking the leap into a fitness regime is tough business especially when we are surrounded by the social pressures to look a particular way. Raise a finger to those unrealistic body standards, and move in a way that feels good for you!
For information visit https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1172&context=ijes
