“I don’t work out because I hate my body, I work out because I love it.” -Anonymous
How often do we criticize ourselves for not meeting personal fitness goals in the blink of an eye, for failing to care for our health, or for not being a super-human, perfect person in all areas of life?
We probably chastise and belittle ourselves with negative self-talk more often than we realize. As spring blooms into summer, let’s work to change our thought patterns into ones that promote “I can!” statements. “I can take care of my health.” “I can enjoy my exercise time.” “I can love my body and be thankful for its successful functioning.” “I can adapt to changing life situations.” If you’re like me and avoid taking healthy steps for fear of not doing things “perfectly” or for fear of looking like a “wannabe” athlete, heed the message of the following anecdote! I recently saw a fitness quote that read, “…Because today is another chance to get it right.” Although this mantra might encourage the vast majority of people to boost their workout intensity, it makes me shrink back in panic and apprehension. Thoughts run through my head: “I feel like I’ll never get this workout routine right!” “I feel like my ducks will never align so that I can be successful with meeting my goals!” “Oh well, I failed last time, so I’m definitely not going to get it right this time around.” Water Woman knows that getting it “right” isn’t always the solitary objective. Many fitness enthusiasts declare that getting it right is the top priority. Water Woman would gander to say that “making progress” trumps “getting it right” not only in fitness, but in many of life’s tests. Focus on yourself and determine YOUR goals and what YOU can do to make you strong, healthy, and happy. For now, don’t worry about getting it absolutely right. Work hard, take risks, focus on progress, be kind to yourself, and enjoy the benefits of your efforts. Home video fitness mogul Denise Austin first perked my interest in exercise when I was a pre-teen girl. Her bubbly attitude and somewhat cheesy comments persuaded my young self that exercising was fun and helped make me a well-rounded person. All these years later, the first thing I hear in my head when I think of Denise Austin is “Believe YOU are worth it!” Denise believed in my ability to enhance my life through physical fitness. Let’s make progress in believing that about ourselves. Let’s make progress to arrive at the day when we can say “I believe I am worth it!”
