It's Not Just The Body We Need To Keep In Shape!

Throughout history, people have been striving for a perfect body: whether it was being slim, having thin waist or bigger bottom. Nowadays, this kind of trends are even more pushing than ever: with the different social media sites and online magazines calling men and women to work out, eat “healthy”, take at least 10 thousand steps, etc.

A lot of those pieces of advice are actually really helpful, if only they didn’t stress the physical part of it that much. When it comes to being in a good shape, most people have a number goal – loose certain amount of weight, gain certain amount of muscle weight, wear a specific size, etc. So, even all those “healthy” routines become almost chores, because you do it not to feel better, but to get the feeling of approval of others.

Having this attitude causes quite a bit of mental health issues: people get addicted to exercise, they overdo their routines, get too focused on excluding certain foods out of their lives (which can make them miss out on so many life experiences and memories), not to mention the binge/restrict cycles they go through.

In the era of fast-paced life and almost constant stress, we need to remember to take care of our mind. It doesn’t mean that if you used to work out to get “in shape”, you need to abandon the exercise. This means that you need to change the “why” of it– working out can make you stronger and allow you to have a better, longer life. The same idea can be applied to eating habits: food is for fueling our bodies AND our minds. So, if you feel like your favorite chocolate cake or some crispy chips will make your day a little better – go for it, there’s no need to feel ashamed. It’s always about understanding what the body and the mind want; sometimes it will be lean protein and, maybe, broccoli, but sometimes it will be BBQ ribs from your favorite restaurant.

All in all, people should focus a little more on mental health while making all the lifestyle changes – not for the sake of the “perfect” body, but for the sake of healthier, better quality of life, in which they will be able to feel free of restrictions, more productive, and overall happier.