It’s not just about physique
At some point in every person’s life – they will have been told the following:
“It’s what’s on the inside that counts”.
Be it teaching a child the importance of personality. Reassuring a teenager that being a good person is more important than looking good or be it as an adult. Chances are – at some point – everybody has heard that phrase.
How true a phrase it is.
Most people I encounter in my line of work enter into diets and fitness regimes with the sole purpose of looking good. We hear these phrases day in and day out.
“I want to fit back into my jeans.”
Or “I want to look good in a bikini on my holiday.”
Maybe “I want to have a flat stomach/slim legs/toned bum.”
Why shouldn’t they want those things! All perfectly understandable goals. I can see where the motivation and desire comes from. In a world where social media dominates and a plethora of perfect bodies are paraded in front of us at every given opportunity. It is easy to see why people hone in and fixate on such physical goals.
What I want you to do right now – is step outside the physicality of getting fit and focus on the millions of other benefits of getting healthy.
Mind
Exercise in particular has a huge impact on your mental acuity and positive mindset. It stimulates the channels that produce serotonin, dopamine and norepinepherine. These neurotransmitters have a huge impact on our moods – leading to heightened feelings of happiness, positivity, energy and stress relief. Mood changers are awesome for reducing those day-to-day stresses, helping you keep a clear head. This impacts your ability to sleep, your decision making abilities, thought processing and your general feelings and emotions.
Body
Improved fitness and cleaning up your diet will naturally boost your bodies ability to perform its core functions from the inside out. Reduced body fat increases heart and circulation health, improves lung capacity, boosts immune response and ability to fight infection, lowers the risk of cancers and other diet-induced conditions such as diabetes. Stronger muscles will lead to better stamina, better flexibility which will allow your body to do more in your day-to-day life. A healthy weight will also put less pressure on your joints and promote strength in the long term.
Soul
The knock on effects of an improved physical and mental state will lead into many lifestyle benefits. Feeling better within yourself can lead to increased confidence and feelings of self worth. Improved self-esteem can then feed into your relationships with others: friends, family, partners. Strengthening bonds with others can only lead to increased positivity in your life. Being able to enjoy the world without pain or ill health. Being able to appreciate every moment with confidence – and not shrink away through fear.
So next time you think about starting a healthy diet and increasing your exercise – push yourself to see further than the physique. Concentrate on how it is going to affect all aspects of your life – step back and appreciate the bigger picture. Because it isn’t just about your physique. It’s about all of you.
