How to Exercise Out of Self-Love—Not Self-Loathing

In today’s world, all you see is advice on how to exercise and look fit so as to look good. You shouldn’t have stretch marks, any glimpses of fat should be gone, and all sorts of other things. Simply put, you should hate your reflection unless it’s perfect, and it will only be perfect through exercise. What happened to enjoy the things we do? What happened to exercise because it makes us feel good and active, to exercising because we love and care for ourselves and our body? Despite what the morals of today’s fashion industry are, your motivation for exercising should never come from a place of loathing and hate.

1. Set realistic expectations

No matter how new you are to exercising, you need to have realistic expectations. The first thing to do is figure out how much your body can take. Your body is like a delicate flower that needs love and care to grow, not force.

That being said, you won’t achieve much if you force yourself to cross your physical limits. It’s okay to start small, you’ll build up your desired level of skill in no time. There’s no reason to hate yourself for not being able to reach your fitness goals just yet. Take it slow, remember to breathe, and let the flower grow at its own pace while nurturing it along the way.

2. Buy proper workout clothes

Though it may seem frivolous, buying clothes you love can have a great effect on your mood and motivation. Simply put, if you look good you feel good. Don’t shy away from buying that perfect pair of leggings you saw at the store, and feel free to splurge on adequate workout shoes.

Dressing like a professional will lift your mood and give you an extra push. You’ll feel much more confident and like you can achieve anything. What’s more, it’ll help you feel like you belong to the fitness world. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t indulge yourself in this manner, as it will contribute to your success more than you think.

3. Find support

Every beginning is hard, and sometimes people around you can make it even harder. You might get comments such as “what are you doing that for?” or “that’s pointless, you’re wasting your time” but don’t let that discourage you. Don’t let other people slow you or knock you down. Surround yourself with like-minded folks who will not only understand your new adventure but support it, too.

There’s nothing that lifts us up more than the love and support of people who care about us. Find at least one person who will congratulate you on a job well done, and with whom you’ll be able to freely talk about your progress.

4. Work out the best dietary plan

Exercising on its own is good, but combined with a good diet it can do wonders. Normally, you feel pressure to starve yourself and go on all sorts of crazy diets just to achieve your goal. This is neither healthy nor productive. That’s why carb cycling is ideal. It’s a dietary plan that involves high, low and no carb days. The amount of exercise you do will depend on how many carbs you need to take that day.

Exercising out of self-love also implies eating for the same reason. You’ll feel more energized and you’ll be well nourished. This is what’ll help you discover new strength you never thought you possessed. It’ll drive you forward and make every step you take in achieving your goals all that sweeter. Finally, you won’t miss any food as you’ll still be able to consume everything but in moderation.

5. Hire a trainer

It’s okay to ask for help. Trainers have been doing this a lot longer than you, and they’ll be able to keep you on the right track. Hiring a trainer is ideal for anyone that needs a little push from the side. It’ll also ensure that you have someone to pick you up on your bad days and someone to share your success with.

A trainer will also help you get to know your body better. You’ll be able to overcome every obstacle on your journey to success, as you’ll have a guiding hand. After a bit, you’ll be able to continue on your own, now more confident and ready to face everything that comes.

Conclusion

After you’ve tried these methods, you’ll realize that doing things out of love gives the best results. The true point of exercising is to enhance the quality of your life, and grow into a healthy and happy person. You can only achieve that if you love and understand yourself. Confidence and persistence are also the keys to your success. Just because you’ll be exercising out of love for yourself, it doesn’t mean it will be easy. You’ll see that you can do anything you put your mind to, soon enough!