We often find a lot of fitness and workout videos on our social media while scrolling which sometimes motivates us to incorporate the same into our lifestyle.
It seems quite fascinating to have a fit body like models, but it’s not that easy to do the same. You might think that these people follow a great lifestyle and stay happy. But it’s easier to visualize this, however challenging it is to smile for an Instagram selfie after long hours of workout and eat cabbage in your breakfast.
Exercise is meant to keep your body fit and healthy, and it needs to be fulfilling, not torturing. However, we live in a world where show-off has become the new normal.
People show off everything they do to show off their happiness, and great life and exercise is no exception.
This is creating a toxic fitness culture that is not good for our body’s overall physical and mental health. We often force ourselves to incorporate this in our life to fit in this show-off world. However, it can be extremely damaging for our bodies and even not good for our relationship with ourselves.
When you are in a toxic relationship with exercise, you are not your best self. You keep on criticizing your body and preventing yourself from loving your workouts.
Signs of an unhealthy relationship with exercise:
Don’t take me wrong; I am not asking you to give up on exercise and live an unhealthy life. But I am asking you to understand the real meaning of fitness. For this, you have to shift your mindset so that you can feel good about your body and yourself.
If you are wondering how to identify whether you are in a toxic relationship with your client or not, here are the signs to look for:
Also Read: 120 Toxic Relationship Quotes That Helps You Decide Whether to Stay Or Move On
You use exercise to punish yourself for food choices
If you think that exercise is the only way to compensate for that ice cream you had last night, then you are in it for the wrong reasons. Unnecessarily worrying about losing the calories you gained last and then exercising to make up for the loss through exercise is toxic. Exercise is meant to keep your body fit, not for punishment.
You feel guilty when you skip a workout.
Sometimes it becomes difficult to keep up with the exercise routine, and thus we skip it. When you start feeling guilty for not exercising that day is a sign of a toxic relationship.
You’re trying to change specific body parts.
When you start trying to alter the look of your specific body part by exercising just to look perfect for social media pictures is not a good sign. Your fitness goal should be to make you feel good, not look perfect.
You exercise even when injured or unwell.
When you exercise even when your body doesn’t allow you, or you exercise even when you are injured, or ill, then it is a clear sign of a toxic relationship. Rest is also important to keep your body healthy, and when you start compromising on rest just to look toned in a certain way, it’s high time you realize that it is getting toxic.
Wrap up
The bottom line is- Listen to your body. If your body needs rest, take rest. Don’t make exercise a punishment for yourself; rather, keep in mind that exercise is meant to keep you feeling fit, not to look perfect than others.
