7 Ways Movement Can Improve Your Body Image
By Angel Austin
Body image is a sensitive and complex issue for so many of us. It’s influenced by arbitrary beauty standards, media representation, and our personal experiences. Here at PowerUP, we want to equip you with some tools to help you with improving your body image. One of the most useful tools is movement and it can play a powerful role. I’d like to share five ways that movement can positively impact how we view our bodies.
Movement Enhances Body Awareness
One of the most significant benefits of engaging in regular movement is the increase in body awareness. Body awareness refers to how well you understand and feel your body’s sensations, movements, and capabilities. When you participate in various physical activities, whether it’s dancing, walking, or swimming, you start to tune into your body and its needs. You begin to feel sensations and even strength that you’ve never felt before. This heightened awareness can help you appreciate what your body can do rather than focusing on how it looks.
How this can look:
Yoga/Pilates and Stretching: These activities involve slow, controlled movements that encourage you to focus on your breath and how your body feels in different positions. As you practice regularly, you begin to notice subtle changes in your flexibility, balance, and posture. This builds an awareness of your body’s limits and strengths, allowing you to appreciate how different muscles engage and release tension.
Strength Training: Lifting weights or using resistance bands can sharpen your awareness of muscle engagement. As you practice different exercises, you start noticing how specific muscles activate during movements like squats or presses. This attention to form and effort not only builds strength but also helps you recognize your body’s power and physical changes over time.
Swimming: In swimming, each stroke requires coordination and precision, which helps develop awareness of your body in water. The resistance of the water makes you more mindful of how your limbs move and interact with the water. Over time, you may notice improvements in your stroke technique and endurance, which deepens your connection to your body’s rhythm and abilities.
Movement Helps Your Body Feel Better
Instead of focusing on your weight or your appearance, movement can help your body just feel better. For example, if you love dancing, the enjoyment and freedom you feel while moving to your favorite songs can help you focus on the exhilaration of the experience rather than your body size. If you have been experiencing pain and movement helps alleviate it, it can have a significant impact with benefits that are far more meaningful than your appearance.
How this can look:
Easing Stiffness and Tension: If you spend long hours sitting at a desk, gentle stretches or yoga can help ease stiffness in your back, neck, and shoulders. The focus is on releasing tension and feeling more comfortable in your body, not on changing how it looks.
Feeling more refreshed and energized: Going for a walk in nature or doing light exercises can help improve your mood and reduce stress. The fresh air, rhythmic movement, and increased blood flow help your body feel rejuvenated and calm, focusing on mental and emotional well-being rather than appearance.
Improving Sleep Quality: Gentle movement before bed, such as stretching or low-impact exercises, can help relax your muscles and improve sleep quality. The focus is on how your body feels as you unwind and rest better, not on altering your body shape.
Movement Helps You to Be Present in the Moment
Forms of movement that focus on mindfulness (being present in the moment) can help you develop a more positive and accepting relationship with your body. By appreciating how your body moves and what it can do, you start to cultivate a sense of respect for your physical self. You become far less concerned with how you look and more in tune with who you are as a person and the things about your life that are the most meaningful to you in the body you have right now.
How this can look:
Walking Meditation: This practice combines movement with mindfulness, encouraging you to focus on the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your steps, and the environment around you. It helps you connect to the present moment and appreciate your body’s ability to carry you through life.
Tai Chi: This slow, flowing form of movement centers on mindful attention to balance, posture, and breath. The focus on smooth transitions and controlled movement helps you become aware of your body’s strength and flexibility, while cultivating a calm and accepting mindset.
Movement Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety can take a toll on your mental health and, as a result, affect how you perceive your body. Intentional movement can help reduce stress levels and improve your overall well-being because it releases endorphins, your body’s natural feel-good hormones that help reduce stress and improve your mood. When you feel happier and less stressed, you’re just more likely to develop a better body image. Finding a movement routine that you enjoy or at least remain consistent with, can help alleviate anxiety. When you take time for yourself to engage in activities that bring you joy, you are actively participating in self-care. This practice can boost your self-esteem and help you view your body in a better light.
How this can look:
Dancing for Joy and Emotional Release: Dancing to your favorite music is a powerful way to relieve stress and anxiety. It provides an expressive outlet, where moving your body freely helps release tension and boost endorphin production. The fun and enjoyment of dancing can uplift your mood, promote self-confidence, and shift your focus away from anxious thoughts.
Walking in Nature for a Mental Break: A simple walk, especially in nature, can significantly reduce anxiety by providing a mental escape and refreshing your body with physical activity. The rhythmic movement of walking, along with being in an outdoor environment, releases endorphins and lowers cortisol levels, reducing stress and helping you feel more connected to your body.
Movement Encourages Self-Expression
Movement is not just about exercise; it can also be a powerful form of self-expression. Through movement, you can communicate your feelings, creativity, and individuality. Dance is a fantastic example of using movement as self-expression. Whether you’re dancing in your room, taking a class, or performing, dance allows you to express your emotions and connect with your body in a way that is freeing. This creative outlet can help you appreciate your body for its ability to move and express feelings, rather than critiquing it because of its appearance. Finding the type of movement that resonates with you personally can enhance your body image. This could be martial arts, swimming, hiking, or even playing a sport. Each form of movement offers a unique way to express yourself, allowing you to appreciate your body’s capabilities in a creative and fulfilling manner. It’s also important to remember that your form of expression through movement doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
How this can look:
Dance as Emotional Release: Dancing, whether in private or in a class, allows you to express emotions through the rhythm and flow of your body. It offers an outlet for joy, sadness, frustration, or excitement, connecting deeply with the body in a way that goes beyond appearance and taps into self-expression.
Martial Arts for Personal Empowerment: Practicing martial arts can be a powerful form of self-expression, blending discipline, movement, and individual strength. The fluid motions and controlled techniques can symbolize inner power, resilience, and confidence, helping people express their identity through their body's capabilities.
Improvisational Theater or Movement: Using spontaneous, unscripted movement in theater or performance to express emotions, ideas, or stories.
Any other form of movement as self-expression that you can think of!
Movement Fosters a Sense of Community
Engaging in movement can create a sense of belonging and community. When you participate in group activities or classes, you connect with others who share similar interests. This sense of community can positively influence your body image. Many fitness classes or community groups promote body positivity and inclusivity. Surrounding yourself with people who celebrate diverse body types and prioritize health and well-being over appearance can help reinforce a positive body image. When you move with others, you create connections that foster mutual support and encouragement. Whether it's joining a dance group, a hiking club, or a community sports team, these connections can provide motivation and help you feel accepted for who you are, which can greatly enhance your body image. We offer special opportunities to move in community from time to time. With PowerUp, you also have the opportunity to connect with others for support on our app.
How this can look:
Community Dance Classes
Joining a community dance class allows you to express yourself through movement while connecting with others who share your passion for dance. These classes foster a welcoming environment where participants celebrate diverse abilities and body types, reinforcing positive body image and creating a supportive, inclusive space.
Hiking Clubs
Participating in a hiking club brings people together to explore nature while engaging in movement. Members of the group can bond over shared experiences, support each other through physical challenges, and focus on the joy of moving in nature rather than on appearance, enhancing a sense of belonging.
Group Movement Programs
We routinely host group programs that encourage movement for all bodies. These challenges like our most recent one, Strength for Absolute Beginners (SFAB) promote inclusivity, are fun, and focus on total well-being and personal growth. By joining, participants can connect with others who prioritize body positivity, leading to shared motivation and stronger community ties.
Movement Shifts the Focus from Weight to Holistic Well-Being
Engaging in movement for the sake of health and enjoyment, rather than for weight loss, can profoundly impact how you view your body. Instead of setting weight-related goals, consider focusing on health-centric goals. This could include improving your endurance, flexibility, or strength. By prioritizing how movement makes you feel rather than how it affects your weight, you create a healthier mindset around your body. When movement is framed as a way to nurture your body rather than punish it, it becomes an act of self-love. This shift in perspective can help you appreciate your body for its abilities and resilience. Instead of seeing exercise as a chore or a means to an end, you begin to view it as a celebration of your body and its capabilities.
How this can look:
Improving Endurance for Daily Activities: Rather than exercising with a focus on weight loss, set a goal to increase your stamina so you can walk longer distances, climb stairs without getting winded, or keep up with your daily activities more comfortably. This fosters a sense of accomplishment based on how your body performs in everyday life, making movement feel more rewarding and empowering.
Enhancing Flexibility for Mobility and Comfort: Engaging in stretching, yoga, or mobility exercises with the aim of improving your flexibility allows you to focus on how your body feels in motion. It becomes about enhancing range of motion, preventing stiffness, and improving posture, which leads to a greater sense of ease and comfort in your body.
Building Strength for Resilience: Strength training can be reframed as a way to build resilience, both physically and mentally. Instead of focusing on weight loss, consider setting strength goals like being able to lift heavier objects, carry groceries with ease, or improve balance and stability. This fosters a deeper appreciation for what your body is capable of, reinforcing a sense of empowerment and self-love.
Movement can be a transformative tool for improving body image. By enhancing body awareness, reducing stress and anxiety, encouraging self-expression, fostering community, and shifting the focus from weight to the well-being of your whole self, movement becomes a positive and empowering experience. Please remember, it’s not about how your body looks; it’s about how it feels, how it moves, and what it can do. Surround yourself with supportive communities and embrace your body for all that it is. By cultivating a positive body image through movement, you can empower yourself and inspire others to do the same.