Home Health Health and Body positivity
Someone wants to lose a few pounds, someone wants to gain them. Some want their muscles to be bigger, others are afraid of becoming too bulky. It doesn’t matter if it’s fat, muscle, body hair, or skin — not many people are completely happy with the way they look. Why is that? And what does this have to do with health and fitness?
Seasonal depression
Be healthy and fit or look healthy and fit
If you are slim and well-muscled, the general assumption is that you are healthy and in good shape, especially in Western culture. Therefore, people who do not fit this image are often criticized. The most common factor used to assess your “health” is your body mass index (BMI). The BMI goal is to achieve a healthy and ideal weight. That’s why many people get on the scale day after day to monitor their progress. In fact, weight does not determine how healthy a person is.
There are 5 key factors and healthy lifestyle habits.
Nutrition: A healthy diet includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. Trans fats, processed and sweetened foods and beverages, red meat, and sodium should be kept to a minimum.
Exercise: The recommended amount is 30 minutes a day.
BMI : According to the WHO, the normal BMI for adults is between 18.5 and 24.9.
Smoking: Smoking should be avoided completely.
Alcohol: Women should consume less than 15 grams of alcohol per day, and men should consume less than 30 grams. One drink contains about 14 grams of alcohol.
Useful to know:
Body Mass index (BMI) is a combination of a person’s weight and height. On the other hand, a healthy or ideal weight depends on the age of the person. However, the equation completely ignores body composition — there is no difference between muscle, fat, and water. Keep in mind that BMI is an average value; if your height is below or above average, the index is not a good guide.
How often should I weigh myself?
First of all, it is important to set a goal. If you want to lose or gain weight in a healthy way, it makes sense to monitor your weight. For this purpose, scales that display your body composition can be useful. Make sure that you always have the same measurement conditions to ensure consistent results (at the same time, in the same place, with or without clothing).
However, these scales can not give you an accurate definition of your health and fitness. If you need more information, ask your doctor to do blood tests and check your blood pressure. This will give you a clearer picture of your blood sugar, cholesterol, and heart health, which are important indicators of your overall health.
weigh in
In fact, there are pretty clear guidelines on how to stay healthy, stay in shape, and live longer. However, magazines and the Internet are full of articles about the latest diets, wonderful weight loss products, and other health problems. This is because our society often equates health and fitness with the standards of attractiveness and beauty. And the standard of beauty that we know today is defined as a minimum of body fat, smooth, elastic skin, and prominent muscles. In fact, according to today’s standards, in order for women to be considered attractive, they must have a little less weight.
What is a body positive?
The bodypositive movement is aimed at loving your body for what it is. There is no bad body with or without cellulite, age spots, regardless of size and BMI, with or without disability. The movement aims to deconstruct unrealistic and discriminatory body images and beauty standards. Research shows that your perception of your own body or of other people has little to do with health and more to do with attractiveness. When people don’t meet the cultural standards of beauty, it can lead to low self — esteem and depression-and it really has nothing to do with whether a person has a healthy and toned body. The fact that someone may be genetically predisposed to slimness or a stockier build does not mean that this person is actually in good shape or not.
Criticism of the bodypositive movement has intensified in recent years. Critics say that despite its good intentions, the movement is too focused on body image. The Body Neutrality Movement explores the question of whether we should really love our body and why we are fixated on our appearance at all. The goal is to feel at peace with your body (without neglecting your health) and define yourself by who you are, not by what you look like.
Conclusion
Whether you love your body or are neutral about it, one thing is clear: weight, how you look, your diet, or exercise habits are not the only indicators of your health and fitness. The key is to have a holistic approach to health, and that means physical and mental health. This is the secret to a long and happy life.
Our tips:
Add more movement to your daily life
Do your mind a favor and keep a diary of mindfulness
Eat healthy foods
Last but not least, pay attention to yourself and your body, not others.
