The Only Part of Your Body to Train for #bodygoals
There is one part of your body that, if you trained it every day, would give you your dream body…
Until a few years ago, I’d probably spent the best part of my teens and twenties trying to find the ‘secret’ to get someone else’s definition of the perfect body. I tried every fad diet, and training programme in my pursuit.
It was like a part-time job.
I couldn’t tell you why or where this came from. I’ve always been slim, played sport from a young age, and was raised to understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet.
And yet, there was this ingrained desire to change my body — to shrink. I never had an eating disorder so I never questioned it, or thought it was strange. Most, if not all, of my friends were trying to do the same. I accepted it was part of being a teenage girl.
If you’re a female reading this, I expect you did too.
I’m not going to pretend I had some sort of an epiphany that instantly changed all that. It’s been a process not a single, light-bulb moment.
And those thoughts of ‘getting smaller’ still creep in. It very rarely happens, but it’s hard to completely shut off 15+ years of ingrained self-talk.
So what’s the answer…?
It’s your brain.
In the last three years, I’ve been more interested in learning how my head works than any booty-blasting training programme.
This has been 100 times more beneficial than years of trialling superfoods or fat-burning exercises.
Our brain is an epic powerhouse and if we learn how to work with it, then everything becomes a little easier.
When you train your brain…
- You relearn self-talk. You start to question the things we do on auto-pilot, and try to unearth where it’s come from.
Such as, why does a female celebrity losing or gaining weight make headline news? Great, if she’s feeling more healthy and happy, but the media’s focus is trying to find her secret to ‘shrinking’ as if it’s the holy grail.
A loud message — a decrease in dress size is an increase in her value.
While, I’m over here, eagerly anticipating what is likely to be the heart-break album of my lifetime; given she’s recently been through a divorce.
2. You realise the main benefit of exercise is to help our brain, mood and mindset.
The times when I’ve “shrunk” in my life; when everyone tells you, you look great; my headspace was anything but great.
Ironically, I was giving little care to my body as my mind was consumed elsewhere — nourishment was not a priority. If I look back at pictures, I don’t miss that body because I know it came with a sad, sorry head.
And most importantly…
3. You learn you define what your “dream body” is.
For me, that is the ability to move it how I want, pushing it when my head is in the zone for that. To feel comfortable in my own skin; not trying to shape-shift into something else.
Knowing how to nourish and take care of it properly does way more for your self-esteem than any detox or six pack would.
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