Accept Yourself As You Are Today!

By Alison Wells

If my words could cause bodily harm, my legs would need some serious protection! Without it, they'd be bruised, scraped and cut. They'd likely have a few dislocations, sprains and even breaks; probably in several places.

It sounds brutal but it's true. You see, until very recently, and no secret to them, I've HATED my legs. If they could talk, they'd tell you they've been verbally abused their whole life and want a new owner.

I've called them "hideous," "tree trunks," "sausages", "heffer thighs", and "fatty boombas." I've hidden them with long pants and avoided every fashion statement that involves showing them off (don't even get me started on skinny jeans!) I've exercised them until they couldn't move, I've poked and prodded them hoping they'd shrink, and I've even dreamt of re-shaping them with invasive surgery.

The fact is, I was born with legs that are not slender and long. Instead, my legs are muscular and short. Up until a few months ago, I viewed these muscular legs as a genetic curse. However, in recent months, they've proven to be quite the opposite. My legs carried me across several finish lines this year, including a 42.2 k marathon and most recently they've assisted in a 3rd place finish in a duathalon that involved a 10 k run into a 40 k bike into a 5 k run.

This epiphany came when the bronze medallion was placed around my neck. I thought to myself, "all this time I've hated my legs and they just put me on the podium. All this time I've focused on how they look and what they are not, rather than how well they function. From now on, I will be thankful for the legs I've got!"

The truth is, I've worked hard for these strong, athletic legs and I should be happy with how I've shaped and sculpted them. I've ran, biked, kickboxed, lunged, squated and skipped and my legs have improved because of these efforts.

Despite the years of verbal abuse, they clearly haven't held a grudge. I can now say with complete sincerity that I love my short, muscular legs. I love how they look and how they function and I wouldn't trade them for anyone else's.

Now I wear shorts and mini skirts.

Before I go, I'll leave you with an interesting bit of information. The very day I changed my mind about my legs, so did others. I received several compliments on how beautifully athletic my legs are. My hair dresser even mentioned she wanted to trade legs with me! It's funny how the world around you changes, when you change.

So, I'm telling you right now to accept yourself as you are today! Don't beat your body up because of its bulges, imperfections, limitations, weaknesses, or pains. Don't resent your body for what it IS not, instead, celebrate it for what it IS. Then, find the balance between accepting your body today and inspiring it to  move further, improve and become stronger and healthier. It's okay to want to change the way your body looks and feels but you need to first STOP beating yourself up with your words, you deserve better treatment. You are AWESOME! Those who love you, already know it, those who don't, don't matter anyway.

Please let me know how I can help! Visit New Heights Fitness & Wellness Centre in Hanover