Working Hard to Battle Negative Body Image

Having grown up in Malibu I know that the pressure to look as perfect as a Barbie doll can be overwhelming. I take my lunch break everyday at Cross Creek aka “Malibu Country Mart”, so I see the skinny girls and the perfect hourglass figures, the big sunglasses and short skirts, the itty-bitty waists and the fake boobs all day long. It seems like everyone these days wants to look artificially manufactured, and that is the problem, most of them were not born that way so then why do we put the pressure on ourselves to try and get there naturally?  There are very few women in the world with zero cellulite, or a perfectly lifted rear-end. But with the images in the magazines (most significantly airbrushed to perfection), and the adds on television, it seems that there are these perfect figures everywhere you turn.

Women today battle with body image more than ever before beause of the advertising that is thrown in our faces on a minute by minute basis. For any woman out there who is ever doubting her own beauty, here are a few pieces of advice I have given myself and would like to share with you.

1. Be THANKFUL: Appreciate the fact that you and your body are healthy and strong, and do not get down on your body for not looking exactly the way “you” think it should look. Your body does so much for you, so the last thing you want to do is be sending it these negative signals and telling yourself that you are fat and ugly. Be thankful that your body has helped you throughout the years, carried you when you were tired, persevered when you were in labor, surprised you when it finished that marathon, or simply is able to get you out of bed in the morning. Our bodies are magnificent things, far too perfect and complex for us to completely understand, and what a terrible thing it is to be putting it down day after day. So what if you have a little bit of cellulite? So what if your calves are a little larger than you wish, or your butt is not perfectly lifted like the one you saw on Baywatch. Be thankful, maybe you stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself you are beautiful, but maybe that isn’t for you. The one thing you CAN do and MUST do is say “Thank You.” From me to my body I say “Thank You. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being strong when I couldn’t be. Thank you for carrying me farther than I ever thought I could go. Thank you for working hard every second of every day to keep me safe and healthy and alive.”

2. Push Yourself: Stop blaming your body, your family, your job, your genetics or yourself and spend those extra minutes that you used to spend complaining, working out a little bit harder. There are no short-cuts to losing weight, it is simple math, calories in versus calories out. Do not kid yourself by spending 15 minutes on the treadmill at a speed of 2 mph,  and ask yourself, “Why can I simply not lose the weight? I am doing everything I am supposed to and it just isn’t working for me.” The truth is that you are probably not working as hard as you can. Most people think that going to the gym 2-3 times a week for 30-45 minutes is an adequate amount. If you are seriously looking to drop 20-30 lbs in a couple of months, then 2-3 times a week will not cut it. For weight loss or altering body composition a person needs to be in the gym 3-4 days a week, working as hard as they possibly can. One rest day a week is mandatory, and any days left over can be used as “moderate” days in which you are active and exercising but not pushing yourself to your limit. That is basically six active days a week, 3-4 of which you are pushing yourself to your limit. One day to rest your body completely and recover. You must think about the amount of energy you are putting into each workout. If you feel completely exhausted after one hour at the gym that is fantastic, if you spent 75 minutes at the gym and still feel like you could have worked for another hour, then you are probably not pushing yourself to your maximum and could afford to work harder next time. This is why many people can benefit from hiring a personal trainer. Even if you cannot afford a trainer long-term, meeting a couple of times will help you see how hard you can truly push yourself. It is incredible how much harder you will work when someone is sitting there telling you that “You can do it!” getting those last 3 reps in when you would have quite 2 minutes ago. At Malibu Health and Fitness it is my goal to make sure you give 110% because that is what you deserve.

Working out for more than 90 minutes in one session can lead to fatigue and possible injury so try and keep your workouts between 45 minutes to 85 minutes. Also you need to regularly switch up your exercise routine. Many people have a routine that they stick to, and that is why you see them there, all the time, always looking the same. Try something like this:

Monday: Arms and Cardio (75 minutes)

Tuesday: Legs (60 minutes)

Wednesday: Core  and Cardio (60 minutes)

Thursday: Cardio (45 minutes)

Friday: REST

Saturday: Yoga (75 minutes)

Sunday: Moderate Hike (45 minutes)

3. REST: Getting caught up in looking a certain way or achieving a certain goal can be exhausting. Make sure that you are getting adequate rest and don’t over do it. Listen to your body, because it will tell you what it needs from you. The minute you decide to ignore those signs, messages and symptoms is the moment you enter a “workout at your own risk” zone, and it is no fault but your own if you end up injured or exhausted and fatigued. Be careful with yourself and your body, as much as I emphasize working hard, knowing when to rest is equally important.

For more information please visit www.malibuhealthandfitness.com