Certified Health and Life Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Pilates Instructor with a BS in Exercise Physiology Alisa Russell talks about the roles of self love in reaching goals. Want to work with Alisa? Email her at alisarussellcoaching@yahoo.com Self-love is becoming an increasingly popular concept in goal-setting and mindset. Self-love can look like a lot of different things, and I believe it plays a crucial role at the onset of any health and fitness journey. Why start with self-love? In a society that traditionally uses comparison and negative feedback to reinforce goals, this can almost feel ‘counter-culture.’ But there’s a reason self-love is on the rise: it helps. Here are two big ways I think self-love supports your health and fitness goals. It Allows You To Accept the Present Ever catch yourself comparing your running times from 10 years ago to today? Comparing your past athletic capabilities or how you looked years ago is not playing fair to yourself. Take into consideration how life has changed over the years, and how your unique experiences have shaped you into the person you are today. Career changes, relationships, physical and emotional demands, creating and carrying human life, and of course, the natural aging process may all play into where you are at the present. Instead of admonishing yourself for not being where you “used to be,” practicing acceptance and gratitude for where you are today is positive fuel to ignite your health and wellness journey. You Can Be Your Own Best Friend Think of the most recent negative thing you said about yourself. Now imagine saying that exact thing to the most important person in your life: could you do it? Self-love allows you to view yourself as a friend, and in turn treat yourself with the respect and kindness you show to your bestie. After all, we want only the best for our dearest friends and loved ones, don’t you also fall into that same category? We tend to “zap” and deplete ourselves in order to care for others, but self-love helps you accept that putting yourself first is the most important thing you can do for people in your life.
