There is a link between exercise and beauty; looking better is a major motivation for working out. But many of us, even the fittest athletes, are prone to dissatisfaction with our bodies because we don't look like the buff celebrities and professional athletes that we see every day on television and online.
Athletes in particular need to be aware of body image dissatisfaction because desperation and frustration with self image can promote eating disorders, especially in sports such as dancing, running or wrestling, where there is pressure to maintain a particular weight.
It's not easy to make peace with your body image, but here are some tips to help:
Think positive: Every day that you can enjoy exercise is a good day. Trying to starve yourself thinner can leave you more vulnerable to sickness and injury. And focus on the good things that your body can do--run, bike, swim, lift--and how good those things make you feel.
Don't compare: When you are working out, focus on yourself, your goals and your improvements. So there's someone on the next yoga mat who can put her feet behind her head. Well, maybe you would run her into the ground in a 10K race.
Accept your history. Maybe you had eating disorders in the past, had knee surgery or had children, and working your way back to a higher level of fitness. Don't obsess over the fact that you won't regain the identical shape you may have had as an award-winning college athlete. That doesn't mean you can't be strong, sexy, fit and healthy.
Congratulate yourself. Many (too many) people don't exercise at all, and the fact that you are committed to a regular workout plan to stay fit and healthy is a fact worth celebrating.