Prioritizing Mental Health on your Fitness Journey

Researchers have found a correlation between distorted body image & psycho-somatic health decline.

This means that the more you pick your body apart, finding reasons to be unhappy in your skin, the more at risk you are for depression, anxiety, social anxiety, sleep wake disorders, psychosis, eating disorders and more...(Harsejian, 2014).

When I read this I thought, “duh” due to the strong correlation between low self esteem & psychological problems.

But when I considered these results & results of studies referenced further I began to think about how this applies in the fitness industry.

It’s suggested that exercise can support the changing of a person’s self esteem because they gain more ability & their body changes so naturally they ‘become more happy & proud’.

But I find this odd because if a person focuses “too much” on their appearance or their size & shape they may fall into these disordered thoughts & behaviors anyways (intention matters!)

Many people in the fitness Industry get so much out of their workouts & claim it has led to so many #mentalgains but how much of this is really just a distraction from or cause of underlying negative appearance orientation or psychological distress?

While I’d like to believe that exercise & whole food is the solution, it isn’t. I’ve come to find that many of our most “fit” people are struggling with something of deeper importance that a solid workout can’t solve.

Without denying the proven benefits of working out & taking care of your body, I am just here to remind you to also invest in taking care of your mental health.

It’s not healthy to fixate on your body and food or get anxious over social events & being seen by others, or punishing yourself through the use of cardio or food purging, or resort to plan after plan after plan to find peace...

The prerequisite to benefiting from a routine & regimen, I believe, really lies in how you are priming & supporting your mental state.

All too easily, your focus & attention can shift & swing to unhealthy extremes, especially when posed with a challenge around how you look, feel, function, or are perceived based on your identity.

Make sure to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY

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