Have you ever started a new health or fitness endeavor solely because of the results that you are envisioning? 

This is how health and fitness are sold to us- as a pathway to become ‘better.’ I don’t know about you, but something about this doesn’t sit right with me. The results that are promised usually revolve around themes such as weight loss, aesthetic appearance, reversing our aging, and other damaging stories that we are told by health and fitness brands to lower our self esteem and heighten our willingness to buy into these pathways to ‘becoming better.’ The truth is- we won’t ‘become better’ by changing ourselves in these ways. 

Beginning a new health endeavor shouldn’t be about the future results. Instead, we should focus on the present moment benefits. In order to find true success in any health or fitness journey, we must begin with the right intentions. 

Why is it that you want to become more active?

 Is it because you want to change your appearance, or validate yourself in the eyes of others/ the media? If so, then these reasons may not serve a long, healthy, and truly beneficial relationship to fitness for you. In fact, beginning a fitness endeavor with these ill-based intentions can lead to further damage such as body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and an overall damaging perception of the self. 

The truth that I want to leave you with today is this:

You cannot hate yourself into someone you love. 

This means, you cannot begin a journey towards self love when you are moving from a place of self hate. 

Instead, begin asking yourself these questions:

How can fitness support me on my mental health journey?

What ways do I truly enjoy moving in my body?

When I stop focusing on future results- what are some present moment goals I have for my fitness? (I encourage you to create goals that are NOT centered around appearance but rather how you want to feel- your energy levels, finding mood stability, etc). 

Health and fitness are so important, and I believe that in order to cultivate a long lasting, healthy, and truly beneficial relationship to it- we must find what feels good and focus on how fitness can change our inner world- rather than just our physical bodies.