If exercise had no impact on how your body looks, how would you train? Think about it. Would you smash yourself daily, train past exhaustion, and do workouts you hate?

Or would you focus on moving your body in a way that is challenging but FUN, that you show up to consistently and ENTHUSIASTICALLY, because you genuinely love it?

Many of us have been sucked into diet culture’s whirlwind of revolving our eating and training around losing weight or looking a certain way. But focusing on aesthetics as the main outcome and zeroing in on that as your goal means you’re far more likely to take extreme/unhealthy methods just to speed up the process, such as:

• Over-exercising (even when you need down-time to rest and recover)
• Restricting your food intake (not giving your body sufficient fuel to thrive)
• Cutting out certain foods or food groups from your diet (creating disordered eating habits, which can often lead to binge eating/poor relationship with food)

Studies have shown that all three of these behaviours can actually lead to poorer health outcomes in the long run, both physically and mentally, so it’s important to prioritise health-promoting behaviours right at the top of the to-do list!

When figuring out your core motivation to workout in a way that feels good, it helps to focus on non-aesthetic benefits to really make sure you’re caring for your body from the inside out. This might look like:

• Growing stronger, fitter, or perfecting your technique
• Feeling less stressed/anxious or noticing more stable moods when moving regularly
• Experiencing more energy from a balanced approach to exercise
• Starting the day with some you-time to put yourself on the top of your to-do list
• A sense of accomplishment + pride when ticking off a performance goal
• Better sleep quality or duration
• Enjoying post-workout endorphins
• Better ongoing stress management and heart rate variability
• Improved body confidence by spending 1:1 time caring for your bod kindly
• Having FUN and genuinely wanting to be there!

It’s also helpful to relate your exercise routine back to your core values – what’s important to you in life. If you’re someone who really values spontaneity, you might want to mix things up throughout the week, for example doing a heavier dumbbell workout with me, a gentle Pilates flow with Christina, an interval run with Laura, and a long walk with a friend over the weekend.

If you value consistency or thrive off constantly improving yourself, you might want to stick with my workouts more regularly (say 3-4 times per week) doing the same workouts for 4 weeks, pushing yourself to level up to heavier dumbbells over the course of a month!

If you value adventure, maybe you’re more of a nature gal and would benefit from more outdoor walks or hikes while listening to some of my affirmations or meditations!

Ultimately, whatever you choose, it should revolve around what you genuinely enjoy, and can see yourself doing long term. There are soooo many things you could be doing in the body that you’re in today that don’t feel like torture. So if your goal is to ultimately feel good in your body, start moving your body in a way that feels good!

Don’t use exercise as a way to punish yourself for something you ate, or a body you hate. Move as a way to show your body that you love it, and want to care for it from the inside out!