Understanding What it Means to Have a Healthy Body: A Deeper Look
Having a healthy body goes beyond just appearances. It's about how your body functions, feels, and looks, and it's important to understand what truly constitutes a healthy body. In this blog, we'll dive deeper into what a healthy body does, feels like, and looks like, debunking common misconceptions and promoting a healthy body image.
What it Does?
A healthy body is efficient in its functions. It moves objects and nutrients within it with ease, regardless of aesthetics. It's not about being able to perform acrobatics or lift heavy weights, but rather about the unseen work that happens inside the body. From extracting and absorbing nutrients from food to carrying oxygen through the lungs, heart, and bloodstream, to healing from injuries and regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, a healthy body performs these tasks efficiently, often without needing much assistance.
The Feel?
Pain or discomfort are not normal or routine experiences in a healthy body. Your body sends signals through pain or discomfort when something is wrong. A healthy body should feel limber and loose, with a free range of motion. While you don't need to be as flexible as a contortionist, you shouldn't feel like one wrong move could result in weeks of sideline due to injury. Additionally, a healthy body is not just about physical sensations but also mental clarity, free from clouded thoughts and emotions.
The Look?
Society often perpetuates the idea that a certain aesthetic look, such as being slim, slender, lean, and chiseled, is the only definition of a healthy body. However, this is a flawed and unhealthy perspective. Healthy bodies come in different shapes and sizes due to factors like genetics, gender, hormones, diet, lifestyle, and fitness routines. Body fat is a natural component of our bodies, and where it's stored varies from person to person. It's important to remember that chasing after a specific aesthetic ideal can lead to an unhealthy relationship with your body.
The greatest takeaway is that even healthy bodies, with a balanced diet and regular workout routine, naturally store body fat in various areas such as the face, chest, back, abs, hips, glutes, and thighs. Embracing your natural body and learning to love it, including the healthy amount of body fat it may have, is crucial for a positive body image. Pursuing unnatural ways to correct your body's appearance may provide short-term satisfaction but often leads to dissatisfaction or finding new flaws to focus on.
In conclusion, a healthy body is not solely defined by appearances. It's about how your body functions efficiently, feels limber and free, and embraces its unique shape and size. Embracing a holistic approach to health and body image, focusing on overall well-being rather than external appearances, is the key to a healthy and positive relationship with your body. Let's shift our perspective from societal ideals to understanding and celebrating the diversity of healthy bodies.