Social media can be a cruel body battleground, but one world-renowned fitness trainer has made it his mission to turn things around…
Be honest; how healthy is your relationship with your body? Whether you hit the gym hard most weeks or um, go home, chances are you’ve put yourself through an episode or two of body bashing. Many of us also have a dangerous tendency of scrolling through our social media feeds and almost without thinking comparing ourselves to the filtered versions of physical perfection that populate the internet. We’re basically volunteering for Hunger Games style self-esteem trials, and the likelihood of us ‘winning’ is slim to none. On that note, one very proactive (and in demand) trainer wants us to forget about ‘slim’. He also wants to nip body shaming in the bud. Welcome to #loveyourbodyfriday.
A social media campaign kickstarted by fitness expert Dan Roberts , #loveyourbodyfriday was launched to counteract the body shaming that’s so prolific online, and encourage women in particular to see their bodies as ‘instruments, not ornaments’. As a trainer to some of the world’s top models, Dan is more than familiar with the negative body backchat we give ourselves, and occasionally others, and has found that by changing the record, women not only soar in the self-confidence stakes, but they get better results from their workouts. In short, when you’re focused on performing like an athlete, rather than worrying about your arse, you give it your all.
Alright for a Victoria’s Secret star you may say (Dan has a fair few of them on his books), but how about when you don’t feel all that fit in the first place? The response from Dan’s point of view is that you should #loveyourbody no matter what it looks like and leave society’s expectations at the door. By doing so you’ll develop a positive mental attitude, which inevitably leads to better progress, even if you haven’t quite reached your goals just yet. It’s about motivating yourself in a fresh, balanced way; one that doesn’t involve self-punishment, torture or endless comparisons.
If that sounds like a refreshing idea to you, post a picture to show you prioritising what your body’s doing, not what it looks like, with the hashtag #loveyourbodyfriday, tagging in @teamdanroberts (no filthy snaps please). If you crave a fitness approach that reflects these values too, give Dan’s 21 day Methodology X™ a go. It’s a 21 day holistic home programme backed by science, sporting prowess and a sense of fun. The Second Edition of the programme is the official workout of New York Fashion Week AW16. If anyone can get those models feeling upbeat and full of energy during the jetlagged circus that is Fashion Month, it’s Dan.
Find out more about Dan here
We’d love to hear about your body image experiences online, both positive and negative. Comment below or tweet us @GetTheGloss
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