Body Positivity in Women’s Fitness: Loving Your Body Throughout Your Fitness Journey
Part of any fitness journey should be learning how to love your body, just as it is. You’ll be surprised by how empowering that mindset can be, and you’ll soon discover that it will fuel you on your path to improved fitness. Let’s take a look at how to achieve a body positive mindset and why it matters to your fitness journey.
Why Body Positivity Matters in Fitness
In women’s fitness, there has been an ongoing trend of encouraging fitness for the sake of weight loss and meeting societal body ideals. The result is that women frequently pursue fitness not for their health, but because they feel badly about their bodies. However, beginning a fitness journey because of a poor self-image doesn’t actually help people stay motivated. In fact, research has found that poor body image may prevent people from participating in physical activities instead.
Body stigma has the power to negatively impact mental and physical health, but body positivity can do just the opposite. People who feel good about their bodies and what they are capable of actually have better luck maintaining motivation to participate in physical activities. While it may seem counterintuitive, people who feel better about their bodies are more likely to stay active and maintain their physical fitness long term.
How Can Body Image Negatively Impact Participation in Fitness?
When you feel poorly about your body, you may be hesitant to exercise for a number of different reasons. Here are just a few.
You might feel uncomfortable exercising in public
When you’re uncomfortable with your body, you might feel like you’re being judged when you exercise in public. If you feel self-conscious in a gym setting or feel like you don’t belong in a class full of fit bodies, it can be daunting to enter those spaces.
You might feel like there’s no point
When your self-esteem is low, it may feel like exercising is pointless. Responsible exercise and diet changes take time to impact your body, and it can be difficult to wait for the results that you hope to see. This is particularly true if your goal is something like weight loss rather than improved health.
Your reasons for wanting to exercise might be complex
Many people feel the need to exercise because someone made them feel bad about their body. If your reason for exercising is exclusively to change the way your body looks, you will probably struggle to feel comfortable, at least at the start of your fitness journey. However, there is a way to change your mindset and improve your fitness experience.
How to Change Your Mindset About Your Body
It can be intimidating to try to change the way you think about and see your body, but it is possible. And once you’ve embraced a more body positive mindset, you’ll discover how much better you feel about so many things. Here are a few tips to help you cultivate a positive body image.
Find a supportive, body positive community
Starting a new fitness routine can be difficult on your own, but joining a supportive community can help. Not only is that community able to help motivate you when you’re struggling, but they can make exercising more fun, too. You’re also more likely to see bodies that look like yours in a community focused on body positivity.
Practice positive body talk
Changing how you talk to or about yourself can change how you see yourself, too. As you begin your fitness journey, focus on positive statements about your body. Notice how strong you’re getting, how you’re taking care of your body, and how you’re choosing to focus on health. Practice using only positive statements anytime you talk about your body.
Choose sexy workout clothing that makes you feel good
When you’re trying to improve the way you feel about your body, a sexy workout outfit can make a world of difference. Sexy activewear that follows the curves of your body can help you embrace those curves. The more you see your body for its strength and power, the more confident you’ll feel. Whether you’re just trying your first pair of form-fitting leggings, or opting for workout lingerie that allows you to feel supported and empowered, the sexiest workout clothing is what you feel most confident in.
Remember that healthy bodies all look different
You’ll see all kinds of shapes and sizes rocking their hot female gym outfits, and that should encourage you to do the same! Because the truth is that healthy bodies don’t all look like we’ve been told to believe. A healthy body can be nearly any shape or size you imagine, and being thin does not equal healthy. Your healthy body will probably look different than your friend’s healthy body, or your neighbor’s, or anyone else’s. It’s the healthy part that matters most.
Focus on what your body is capable of
Sexy fitness clothes can definitely help you feel good about how you look, and that can make it easier to make healthy choices. But one of the most important things to focus on is what your body can do. Even when exercise is new to you or difficult, take the time to notice when you’ve done something great. Going on a long hike, playing ball at the park with your family, lifting more weight than you thought you could… all of these are things to celebrate! Give your body credit for all it does for you, and you’ll find you feel better about your body overall.
Learn to Love Your Body
Most of us have been taught that our bodies should look a certain way, which is why body positivity is difficult for many people. Learning to love your body isn’t always easy, but the benefits to your mental health, your physical health, and overall well being are significant. As you move forward on your fitness journey, remember to find ways to love and honor your body and all it does for you. You’ll be on the road to better health, and looking and feeling better as a result.
Jaclinne Cheng, Director of Sales and Marketing for Spicy Lingerie.