I'm not making excuses, but another reason I haven't blogged much lately is because Yoga Journal already does the work for me...AND delivers it straight to my inbox each day. There are countless yoga teachers out there who write daily blogs far more knowledgeable (they have the 200+hour training to back it up!) and, dare I say it, just as entertaining as mine, and Yoga Journal culls them all, sending the best entries via email to anyone who signs up to subscribe to the posts. They really are insightful, and many times they mention things that are worth sharing. But, many times I also get too lazy to re-craft what the message is so I'm not a plagiarist, and I leave it.
One recent blog post however, read about it here, IS worthwhile mentioning. It talks about our national obsession with 6-pack abs. A recent perusal of the offerings in Target's fitness section had no fewer than 3 media offerings promising "fab abs" or "6-pack in 6-minutes" or "Flat abs diet". It's enough to make any gal feel like a hopeless underachiever.
My abs are not fab. I don't spend 6 minutes a day on them, and my diet certainly isn't helping the matter. While I miraculously have few stretch marks, the skin is less-than-taut, thanks to carrying 2 babies full-term (healthy, chubby 8 pounders, each!). I never, even way back when, was skinny or "slim" (in fact, I think I weigh less now than I did when I was a Senior in HS), so I've always had a tummy, and I've ALWAYS been self-conscious about it. The article gave me some hope.
This article explains that a 6-pack of abs might not be "healthy" (say WHAT?). Sure it looks good, but all of that muscle bulk gets in the way of flexibility. Hey, that's good news! What we should be after is "strength" - a strong core that helps support your spine, shoulders, and head - and that is not necessarily what you get with 3 rows and 2 columns of perfectly chiseled muscle. Sounds contradictory, right? Not so. The article explains that chronically tight abdominal muscles are not any healthier than chronically tight hamstrings or back muscles. Ouch. Furthermore, women can suffer estrogen loss and bone weakness if they lose enough fat to give that chiseled abdominal look. Huh. Turns out it's actually normal and better for women to have a little extra padding in the middle.
Instead, aim for a strong core that permits flexibility and movement. Practice yoga poses that engage all of your abdominal muscles to help you gain this flexibility - and there are a host of postures that will do this! The author is not saying (and I agree) that we should all give up and resort to a doughy middle - doing so can increase the risk of maladies such as heart disease and diabetes - but we should have different priorities when it comes to the appearance of our bodies. Basically, it's not about appreciating how it looks. It's about appreciating what it can do.
So, thanks, YJ (actually blogger Fernando Ruiz), for doing the work for me about this insecurity-inducing issue, but most of all, THANKS for helping me feel better about the lack of tone going on in my own mid-section.
Be accepting. Accept your faults, accept your weaknesses - they are just as important as your strengths.
No comments:
Post a Comment