Ahhh. Springtime in Oklahoma. Warmer temperatures. Sunshine. Makes me think of newborn kittens, and baseball, and picnics by the lake, and swimming and… The lake? Swimming? Oh-my-gosh! It’s already April, and swimsuit season is looming around the corner like a schoolyard bully at the three o’clock bell!
That’s the type of thought process I hear from a lot of people this time of year. Even more evident to me these days is the pressure both men and women feel to measure up (or down as it may be) to the ever-constant bombardment of “perfect” media images.
A bodybuilder once told me had bought a “posing suit” (much like a men’s Speedo) they wear on stage during their posing contests. I asked him if he had tried it on yet.
“Yes.” He said dejectedly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Well, all I can see is my love handles”. (He didn’t really have those that I could tell.)
I asked him to explain further; and his reply to me was something along the lines that after comparing what he saw in the mirror to what he saw in the bodybuilding magazines, all he could see that day was what was WRONG with him. My reply?
“Welcome to the world of the woman.”
He gained some valuable insight that day, and I was reminded that women aren’t the only ones obsessing about their bodies. This obsession drives many women to buy the latest pill, procedure, gadget or DIE-t promising a new, “better” body in three weeks and three-easy-payments. It’s the obsession for being bigger, stronger, and more muscular at all costs, and as soon as possible, that propels an otherwise law-abiding man to purchase illegal steroids out of the trunk of the local supplier. Distorted body image can manifest itself in conditions such as anorexia, bulimia and now “BIGorexia” (the compulsion to grow more and more muscle mass, by any means necessary, because the sufferer – most often men – believes he is too small), and is rampant in American society.
Now, I’m not saying there is something wrong with trying to look and be your best. My business, Personal Best is based on that idea. I’m talking about the constant desire to emulate what we see represented in the media. Why do we do this to ourselves? We know most images in magazines and on film are doctored. Dimples and cellulite (9 out of 10 women have it) are meticulously air-brushed out. Legs are lengthened on film (and now I hear there is even a surgical procedure to do this) to give even the most meat-deprived models a leaner, taller look. With a little digital tweaking, even the slightest bump and blemish is erased. “Perfection.”
I make it my business to recognize value and strength in every client I train. When I pass by folks on the street or in the gym that have a nice physical feature, such as well-defined shoulders, healthy hair, pretty eyes, a great laugh, a new nail color, etc., I make a point of telling them about it. This week, I conducted my own informal survey. Out of every man and woman I complimented last week, only one person actually received my statement and said, “Thank you”. Everyone else (as if the compliment bounced off and didn’t soak in) replied by pointing out some other feature of theirs they did not like.
So, here’s your homework: How about every day this week we try to find something new that we like about ourselves? Look at your body. I mean really look at it. There is beauty and wonder and strength there. It’s amazing what we are, and what we can do with our bodies. Listen to the conversations you have with yourself when you look in the mirror, and eliminate your negative brain-banter when you hear it. Find, and comment on, the positives of the people around you; and don’t allow them to turn it into their own negative. When someone compliments you this week, just say, “Thank you!” Exercise and feed your body correctly because it’s GOOD for you.
Go outside, enjoy the warm sunshine, and just for this week, don’t count down the days until swimsuit season.
Springtime in Oklahoma…Ahhh.
Body Image