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FITNESS CORNER WHAT DOES LOVING YOUR BODY LOOK LIKE? BY SHAWN MCCLENDON I t's that time of year again when love is in the air and many of us are getting cards, flowers, chocolates and those chalky, heart-shaped candies for those we care about. Considering love, let me ask you a question: Do you love your body? Specifically, let's talk about two aspects of loving your body. First, it is important to be happy with the skin that you're in, and secondly, it is important to show love to your body. Our culture is one that has been, and continues to be, very much concerned with physical appearance. This has become more pronounced with the pervasiveness of social media in our lives, where we constantly see people with so-called "perfect" bodies. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think there is necessarily any problem with wanting to achieve a certain look. However, there's no question that cultural standards for "looking good" have led to many of us being less confident in our own bodies because we don't meet these standards. To be the best you can be, the first thing you need to do is love the body that you have! You own one of the most incredible pieces of machinery in the universe. You are a complex mix of various tissues and systems that are constantly working, day in and day out, to keep you going. You don't have to make your heart beat, nor do you have to make your lungs breathe or your stomach digest. Your body can do all of those things perfectly well without your assistance. It's very easy to overlook how awesome your body is when you are focused on someone else's body. Regardless of if you want to lose a few pounds or if you want to tone up a bit, understand first how privileged you are to have that body of yours. This is very important if you ever make it to step two, which is to show love to your body. How do you show your body love? By taking care of it, of course! The clearest way you can express love to your own body is by giving it the things it needs. Your body requires real food, regular movement, water and sleep, among other things. When you regularly provide these vital needs to your body, you are showing love to it. In contrast, if you are constantly indulging in junk food, never moving, never sleeping or resting enough, you are not showing love to your body. You may not intentionally be doing this, but this is what's happening. The consequence is, our bodies suffer when we do not show love to them. Think about this: I can tell my wife "I love you" a thousand times a day, but if I never spend time with her, those words don't carry a lot of weight. I have to take time away from other activities to talk with her and spend exclusive time with her. The same thing goes for your body, so spend some time with it. Don't be afraid to sit still sometimes, just to listen to your body and learn its signals. Our bodies tell us a lot of things that we never hear in our incredibly distracted world because we never take the time to listen. Do things that you know your body enjoys. Take music, for example. When I was growing up, I was constantly exposed to music, whether it was my dad's jazz playing in the den, my mom's booming gospel in the car or me playing my favorite music on my stereo as I cleaned my room. Recently, I realized that, even though I love music, I stopped listening to it in this way. So, I've decided to play music in my home again because it was something I enjoyed when I was younger. Don't let the cares of the world take you away from things that you know will nourish your body and soul. Be happy and confident with the body that you have, and let that propel you toward showing love to your body by nurturing it and taking care of it. Your actions will not be in vain. When you love your body, your body will love you back. Shawn McClendon is an ACE-certified personal trainer and owner of Back to Basics Health and Wholeness LLC, an organization dedicated to empowering people to take control of their health and avoid lifestyle disease. He hosts the health and wellness blog YourHealthAtTheCrossroads.com and has authored several health/fitness books. 42 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022