Every Body is  Beach Body  – and everybody has one!

This was a brief statement I made in a Pilates class last week, and since then I’ve had so many messages to say it really struck a chord. Now, I’ve never held my hand up to being a feminist, but I am, I guess, a humanist 😉 What do I mean by that? I believe that we’re all capable of being the person we want to be, and we definitely all have the ability to be happy and healthy within our own skin.

Do I look in the mirror and see things I don’t like? Of course I do! I have a soft tummy, wobbly thighs, my waist is thicker than I’d like, (and much thicker than it used to be), I have grey hair (beautifully called ‘sparklies’ by my lovely hairdresser), I have bags under my eyes, and since lockdown’s Bell’s Palsy, I have a wonky mouth/smile…..I could go on, but actually I’ll just stop there, because I don’t really go in for negative self talk; it doesn’t do me any favours! What I also see (or try to at least), is a strong, capable, loyal, loving mother, daughter, wife, friend, health professional, who has an immense skill set and tons of good stuff to offer those who come into my life personally or professionally. And those are actually the things that matter more/most to me. I have a body that (mostly) responds well to the demands I put upon it, and when it doesn’t work so well, I know what I can do to change that. That power is immense!

When I first moved back to the UK, I worked somewhere that promoted a ‘beach body ready’ Pilates class on the run up to summer. I never questioned it at the time but as I’ve got older (and softer around the edges in more way than one), this just doesn’t resonate for me. Much like New Year brings with it all the marketing associated with ‘New Year, New You’, there’s now this push to get that ‘Beach Body’ on the run up to summer. To me, (and having lived by the beach for 13 years in NZ), being beach ready means slapping on sunscreen, protecting from harmful sunrays with appropriate headwear, clothes, eye protection, and usually having something to sit on, snacks and water with me. Occasionally, I’ll shave my legs if I’m going all out, but this does happen less and less!

Do you need to lose a couple of pounds/stones/inches to get yourself ‘beach ready’? Not really; will the beach care if you do? Not really. Do you want to lose a couple of pounds/stones/inches to lead a healthier life, live longer, move well, reduce your risks of developing chronic health conditions, and feel better in yourself? Well, that’s a different story isn’t it? (Also, the beach wont care about that bit either FYI)