Love the Unlovable

/

I feel like it is always easier to be unsatisfied than being satisfied - a typical human being.  And this goes for our bodies too.  When I look at the mirror, the first things I see are my “ugly” parts.  When people ask for healthy living advice, the first thing that they mention is the part of their body that they do not like.  We look at those parts with disgust, we talk about those parts quietly, we hide those parts if possible…

How about, as we enter the month of thankfulness, we actually try to embrace those parts (or part)?  If you have one of those “unlovable” parts, you know that you pay attention to it more than any other part of your body.  Even when you try to hide it, you are actually thinking about it more in depth than a part that you might not mind.  And if you DON’T have one of those “unlovable” parts, then we need to hear more from you to understand your secret. :)

Over the years, my “ugly” grew in numbers as I looked at the mirror.  However, I somehow learned to appreciate some of it.  When I was younger, I was very self conscious of my upper legs - my quads have always been there for me!  It never helped to be surrounded by thin and tall girls at my boarding school, either.  I would always do everything to cover my quads.  As the years went by and as I continued all my sports, my quads kept growing with me.  Today, my quads are my “unlovable” that I learned to love.  

I still have many parts that I should learn to love.  However, it does feel good to be in peace with my quads.  After all, those are the ones that protect my knees from giving in or keep me in shape as I climb the hills of San Francisco! 

Can you focus on YOUR “unlovable” to love it?  

Since we focus on the parts of our bodies that we complain the most, the best routine that we can cover is a PLANK.  With that, the very first thing to know about a PLANK is the perfect form: You need to have a straight line from your shoulders all the way down to your heels.  Whether you hold a “hand” plank, meaning that you are on your hands, or an “elbow” plank, meaning that you are down on your elbows, the imaginary line between your shoulders and heels should never change.  As we covered many times before, Plank is a perfect “Total Body” move, like a pushup.  Therefore no matter what part of your body is unlovable, plank might help to fix it.

Here is my quick challenge for you:

  1. Get into a perfect Hand Plank position - as a modification you can get down to your knees, just make sure that your butt is down

  2. Come down to an Elbow Plank without moving your butt up and then come back up to your hands. Repeat it for 6 times.

  3. Hold the hand plank for 10 counts

  4. Kick your right heel towards your butt, put it back down to a plank. Kick your left heel towards your butt, put it back down to a plank. Repeat the full rotation for 6 times

  5. Hold the hand plank for 10 counts.

  6. Lay down on your stomach with feet and hands off the ground for 10 counts.

Repeat #1-6 total of 3 times.

I know that you can find at least one “unlovable” and start loving!  When you look at the mirror, just remember that you ARE beautiful.  Give yourself a high five for how good you look! :)

TRUE JOy of achievement

SIze and body doesn’t matter when you have the ear and willingness to dance