I just have recently discovered in my journey of body love, and self-love that there are three separate components to my health right now. My food, my exercise, and the metrics of my health (age, size, chemical makeup, hormones, skin, energy levels). By separating these three things, I could see that I have a different relationship with each of these parts of me and it helps me feel less overwhelmed by an overall concept of: I’d like to take better care of myself.
The metrics of my body are separate from but totally connected to my food and exercise. But I notice that if I can look at my body like a scientist and just see where I’m at, I can make a choice about where I’d like to be. I can see how my body is doing from a more objective level and see if there are ways of shifting those measures towards more beneficial states. An example is looking at my energy levels through just the lens of the metrics. I can collect data on what things might affect my energy: caffeine, sleep, exercise, the foods I eat, and stress levels. With research, we can see data on how our energy can be in our control on some levels and there are things to be curious about. What’s realistic for me? What are low-hanging fruits that I can try in terms of increasing my energy? This might help me think about my sleep habits or more exercise or less sugar just from that scientific angle. I feel curious, not attached or emotional about it. I wonder what might be possible for me and what’s not realistic, what I could think about more later.
Another metric that I’ve been curious about is joint pain. For example, when I exercise, my joints feel amazing. Specifically, when I bike, my knee pain is reduced to almost 0 from a pain level of 5 or 6 somedays. This is highly motivating for me to get on the bike and enjoy a ride because I enjoy the experience of pain-free knees so much. There’s no drama, it feels like an objective metric of how my body supports itself in healing, lubricating my joints, circulation, etc. I can support that process and meet my body in optimizing it’s own process.
Exercise has been something of a journey for me in my life. I grew up as an athlete and as an adult I have grappled, like so many of us, to find the time, focus, and dedication to my body feeling fit, healthy, and excited to move. This process of taking the metrics of my body and my relationship with food OUT of the equation helps me to look at exercise more cleanly. What do I like to do? What can my body do right now? What can I fit into my days and weeks so that I can enjoy my body and show up for how great it feels to take care of myself in this way?
The alternative for me was to remember how fit I used to be playing soccer four nights a week in my 20’s and lament over my lack of time, mobility or speed, and skill that I have today. What a losing game that line of thinking is! I can just feel my body shut down and quit as soon as I start thinking that way. As we age, we get to learn to come to terms with where we are at right now. There might be some grief, loss, or frustration involved. But what else is there but to adjust and see what we CAN do right now? There are so many amazing and fun alternatives to movement, being outdoors, playing and loving our bodies. If we can create some distance from any angst we feel along the way, we can still show up to the smallest amounts of exercise and movement that help us create habits and baselines that feel actually fun. Notice how good it feels to move and you’ll find yourself showing up more and more. Mini habits and taking the pressure off. A walk a day can feel life-altering!
Food. Oh, food! What a deeply fraught topic this is, for all of us! If you feel peace in this area of your life, I celebrate you! I have a relationship with food that is ever-evolving and I am happy to do the work to separate my relationship with food from exercise and the metrics of my body. While they are deeply intertwined, I like to see food for just food whenever I can. I practice looking at my food choices and habits from the perspective of mindfulness, noticing hunger, wondering what will be the best fuel for my body, and being as aware as possible. I am not going to go into any ins and outs here with food habits but I will say that it really, really helps me to allow my food choices not to overly influence my feelings or thoughts about exercise or my health metrics. I feel calmer and steadier and happier. When food is food, exercise is exercise and my size/body/health/pain is just what it is, I feel less overwhelmed and more optimistic. I have less black and white thinking. I know that am doing my best and I can still carry on with my habits in other areas that serve me best today! It doesn’t matter to my workout plan that I just ate a bowl of ice cream, I can still hop on the bike and do my thing.
This is something that helps me stay clear on my goals and know there are so many ways that I AM supporting my body and that I can celebrate all that I AM doing to have a healthy body today and every day.
Let’s practice being so kind to ourselves! Take it easy and do the next baby step towards what feels good for you.