One of the requests I received recently was to talk about exercise as self-respect rather than self-criticism.
This one really resonated with me because it's something I've struggled with myself over the years.
If I’m being completely honest, I don't think most people get into fitness because life is going perfectly.
I think a lot of us get into fitness because we have some demons to work through. Maybe it's stress, anxiety, or low confidence. Maybe we just have a lot of thoughts rattling around in our heads and need somewhere productive to put that energy.
Exercise can be an incredible outlet for those things. It's certainly been that for me at different points in my life. But over the years I've learned there's a difference between exercising because it helps you and exercising because you're constantly trying to fix yourself.
It can become easy to focus only on what's "wrong" with us. We start looking at our bodies as projects that need fixing instead of something that deserves care. I’ve caught myself doing this more times than I'd like to admit.
One thing that has helped me is remembering that my body is the only one I'm ever going to get. There are no upgrades, trade-ins, or replacements coming later. This is it. At least for now. Maybe Elon is working on something.
But seriously, if this is the only body I'm ever going to have, it probably deserves a little care and attention. Not because I hate it or because I'm trying to punish it, but because it's valuable.
I know this might sound a little strange, but sometimes I think of my body almost like a separate responsibility. Kind of like a plant that I am caring for. If the leaves start drooping, I don't get mad at the plant. I don't criticize it for needing water. I just recognize that it needs a little care and attention.
For whatever reason, thinking about it this way helps me be a little kinder to myself.
Instead of beating myself up when I'm tired, sore, stressed, or struggling, I can take a step back and ask, "Okay, what does this thing (meaning my body) need from me right now?"
Some days my body needs movement, some days it needs sleep and some days it probably needs me to stop sitting at my computer for six hours straight (currently on hour 4.5).
The older I get, the more I realize that exercise works best when it comes from a place of care rather than frustration. And before anyone misunderstands me, I don't mean you have to be completely satisfied with where you are right now.
It's okay to love your body AND still want to change it.
Those two things can exist at the same time.
In fact, I think that's probably the healthiest place to be.
As I've gotten older, I've started to believe that the healthiest relationship with exercise isn't built on criticism or punishment. It's built on respect.
Respect for the body you have today and appreciation for what it has done for you while still wanting to continue to improve by working toward the goals you'd like to achieve tomorrow and beyond.