Look At Yourself Naked & Other Healthy Habits
Exercising has always been my least favorite thing to do.
Fun fact: this topic, my lack of desire to exercise, was the source of many arguments in a past relationship.
I’ve chosen to take embrace exercising now because I want to live a long and healthy life, and much like eating clean-ish (sometimes I need to eat a handful of candy), exercise seems to be the key to longevity.
I love seeing the transformation of my body: toned arms and legs and increased muscle mass, endurance and stamina. Uh yeah, we’ll discuss the benefits of the latter further in next month’s blog post. Anyway, it’s not all physical changes, I’ve developed other healthy lifestyle habits as well. I workout three sometimes four mornings a week. This is significant because I’m NOT a morning person. In the past, if I had to choose between sleeping in and doing any morning activity (well, almost any morning activity), I’d choose sleeping or lounging in my bed anytime. However, now I’m up at 430am, out the door by 510am for my 530am cycling classes with the toughest trainers on the planet.
Since I’ve started seriously working out with my accountability partner - she’s amazing by the way, I’ve taken tons of pictures of myself. I’m not taking these pictures out of vanity but to document my body transformation and to help me appreciate all phases of my body. I hate taking pictures of myself - you wouldn’t think so if you looked at my Instagram, but it’s the truth. I hate taking pictures of myself; I hate it even more when someone else takes the photo. I’ve got control issues - don’t judge me.
Another habit I’ve developed on my fitness journey is looking at myself naked in the mirror. Not in a sexual way, but in appreciation of my body and the changes it’s undergone. In a 2016 InStyle magazine article, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson shared great advice about looking at your naked body…"Stand in front of the mirror, naked, and say your name out loud. Women don't know how to look at themselves in the mirror and say, 'here I am today,' without thinking of a time when they liked their bodies more. Forget about how you great looked after your last juice cleanse, heartbreak, or stomach flu.” In other words, embrace the current version of you. Tell yourself you look great. Believe it and own it.
Here’s a few other reasons why I love to look at myself in the nude…
I learned to appreciate the skin I’m in…stretch marks, blemishes and all.
It created a feeling of desirability. I don’t have defined abdominal muscles or a flat stomach and that’s okay because I know I look good naked.
It stopped me from internalizing dating and relationship issues. If things go wrong it’s okay! I know things didn’t end because I wasn’t desirable, sometimes things just end.
It increased my arousal and empowerment during sex which led to a better orgasms.
If you don’t look at yourself in the nude, I need you to start. It will help get you in the mood and on the road to embracing and appreciating every aspect of you.
Go ahead…get naked 😉
Cover photo from CreateHerStock
