I'm 22. I'm 5'6, 128lbs (give or take). I have long, lean limbs, a high waist, small features, ears made for a baby. Think ectomorph. It's hard for me to build muscle.
I've pretty much had this build my entire life (duh) and appreciated it more or less at different times. Playing center half in soccer I loved my long legs and their ability to propel me quickly up and down the field like a pinball machine. At proms and balls I disliked my height when a pair of 3in heels made me feel like a giant next to some of my shorter friends. We've all had our ups and downs.
Lately, I've been finding myself being ultra comparative. I pine after different body types; girls who have a shorter build. Girls who have a naturally more muscular build. I don't like beating myself up like that and minimizing my unique and special qualities.
I've learned on my fitness quest that so much of your foundation begins with your genes. [Believe me, I believe in breaking down barriers and accomplishing things your body was not set up to do.] But, for the most part our bodies are all very different and typically lead us towards excellence (or deficit) in particular areas. I'm blessed to be lean and tight. I'm lucky to be constantly challenged by my weight routine; finding ways to turn it up and monitoring how my body responds.
I want to work harder at appreciating my body how it is. I love what fitness does for my mind and body but I want to restructure why I work out. I run purely because I LOVE running. I enjoy being out in the open on my own with no agenda. I lift weights and go to spin classes because I like the results. I want to engage in activities for the health benefits and for my pleasure, not to try to obtain someone else's look.
...A work in progress.
I've pretty much had this build my entire life (duh) and appreciated it more or less at different times. Playing center half in soccer I loved my long legs and their ability to propel me quickly up and down the field like a pinball machine. At proms and balls I disliked my height when a pair of 3in heels made me feel like a giant next to some of my shorter friends. We've all had our ups and downs.
Lately, I've been finding myself being ultra comparative. I pine after different body types; girls who have a shorter build. Girls who have a naturally more muscular build. I don't like beating myself up like that and minimizing my unique and special qualities.
I've learned on my fitness quest that so much of your foundation begins with your genes. [Believe me, I believe in breaking down barriers and accomplishing things your body was not set up to do.] But, for the most part our bodies are all very different and typically lead us towards excellence (or deficit) in particular areas. I'm blessed to be lean and tight. I'm lucky to be constantly challenged by my weight routine; finding ways to turn it up and monitoring how my body responds.
I want to work harder at appreciating my body how it is. I love what fitness does for my mind and body but I want to restructure why I work out. I run purely because I LOVE running. I enjoy being out in the open on my own with no agenda. I lift weights and go to spin classes because I like the results. I want to engage in activities for the health benefits and for my pleasure, not to try to obtain someone else's look.
...A work in progress.
Great post! That's not just a girl thing - a lot of times I think, "if I was 40 pounds lighter, I could run that fast too" - but those are just excuses not to accept the body I have been blessed with, regardless of how fast or slow that is. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThose are some good insights. It's easy to compare our weekest attribute with the biggest strenghts of others. I'm sure we could all benefit by having more grattitude and respect for our imperfect bodies. (they are still pretty dang cool despite our weaknesses)
ReplyDeleteI hear you. Body-wise I should be suiting up as an offensive back instead of trying to cycle and run really fast and long. Oh well...
ReplyDeleteGreat attitude--so healthy! Good luck with your goals.
ReplyDeleteGood observation. I have my 'fav' mirror int eh house where I can squint and everything looks great! HA
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