Our bodies go through many phases. From childhood to adulthood to old age, we often don’t learn to appreciate its beauty and power until it’s too late. Below are five ways for you to take care of and to learn to love your body sooner rather than later.
1. Exercise
Take care of the skin you’re in. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, drinking enough water, and especially exercising help you focus your attention on keeping your body in optimum working condition. Finding ways to get your blood pumping and limbs moving energetically brings you a sense of your body’s possibilities. Powerhouse workouts like kickboxing, Pilates, or dance are particularly good exercises to invest time in. There is a certain level of skill and grace required for dance or pilates and learning them makes you realize just how powerful and full of potential your body is.
2. Dress up
While you might need to let loose with some sweatpants and over-sized t-shirts now and then, if you find yourself dressing down more often than not, you also might be suffering some body image problems. It might be time to dress up. Find something that hugs your hips or accentuates one of your favorite body parts. Show a little cleavage or flaunt a what you’ve been working on in your workouts. Pair sexy heels with some dangling earrings and you’ve got yourself a reason to shine.
3. Turn up the heat
Get your honey off the phone, out of the office, and into the bedroom. Close the door. Turn the lights down low. You know where to take it from here. It’s no secret that a little time in the hay will get you feeling good about yourself. The most beautiful thing about making love is that it boost of confidence you get from knowing someone you love is into you finds you attractive and loves you back. Expressing it in the most basic of physical ways puts you in a vulnerable position, but from which you can truly see where each part of your body is a wonderful work of art.
4. Be positive.
You would never tell your child, “Your hips are just too wide!” or “Look at all this flab under your arm!” Why should you say these kinds of things to yourself? Think about what your body can do instead of what it can’t. Forgive yourself a little. Recognize that if you want to change something that it can be done, but that it takes work. Until you’re ready to do it, realize that your so-called “flaws” are still a part of your body, not demon parasites. Throw a little love their way and you might see those “flaws” for what they are jagged edges of a stunning mountain range.
5. Look in the mirror
Have you ever noticed a teenage boy checking himself out in the mirror? See how he turns and flexes, obviously fascinated in the developing body that is reflected there. So often, loving your body means simply giving it more attention. Don’t push it where it doesn’t want to go. At the same time, don’t keep it back from all that it’s capable of. Learn to read its signals and to appreciate every bend and fold as one would a sculptor’s masterpiece.
Your body is a complex and magnificent creation. For everything it gives you, it deserves to be loved with all you have in return.
