A couple of days ago, I was scrolling through IG and one of my favourite fitness people posted about gym phrases that need to go. While I loved the main idea of his post, one of the things he said in summary was that these phrases are not good for our mental health.
This is where I put on the brakes and said, ‘Omg, YES!’. It seems so obvious, but then someone spells it out.
We know that working out, taking care of our physical health is great for our mental health. The connection is well established and common knowledge. But I think what might not be so obvious, is what things do we come across during our fitness regime that are NOT good for mental health?
One of my very, very, very, very least favourite t-shirts that I’d see people wear is ‘Your workout is my warm up.’. Charming. I know people would think oh it’s just a funny, cheeky thing to wear, however, maybe not. It doesn’t exactly create a welcoming environment for someone who might have finally got up the courage to step into a gym. Or the person who’s been giving it all for the last 2 years and is just not having a great day. Or maybe it’s plain rude and toxic.
This is one extreme example, but other less obnoxious components of gym/fitness culture can also put a strain on us. ‘Go For It’ is great motivation but ‘‘No Excuses'’, not so much. Endlessly scrolling through the fitness feed on Instagram can lead to a lot of comparison and being bombarded with the message that you’re not trying hard enough is not helpful.
If you find yourself working out because you feel shame or that you’re not good enough, you need to step back and examine what’s going on. Fitness should be good for both your physical and mental health and as much as you’d protect your body from injury in the gym, you should be protecting your self image and worth.
Look, there’s no way to shelter yourself from negative and useless messages, this is the world we live in. But you can do proactive things to control when and how you receive information. Limit social media and if you find yourself comparing yourself or feeling bad that you’re not where you want to be - put the phone away. Put it away and go for a walk and remind yourself that the walk and the workout and the fitness regime belong to you alone and part of your personal journey. It goes without saying, the photo or quote someone else posts doesn’t tell their whole story, so don’t let it become yours.
My biggest desire is that people see fitness as a positive and joyful experience and if you find you come away from it feeling bad about yourself, hit the reset button. Also, and a reminder to myself too as a trainer, be aware of the language you use and the messages you send out, to yourself and others.
Also, there’s no such thing as a ‘beach body’, I mean other than owning a body and being on the beach.
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