Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December 18, 2022

When clothes make you feel "fat"

Same person. Same day. A body in motion.  Your weight and appearance do not define you. How you look is not the most interesting thing about you.  For almost all athletes, at some point in the athletic career, body image is a struggle. When it comes to appearance-related content on social media, this constant comparison to unrealistic images of people presenting the best version of themselves can negatively impact your relationship with your body. Unrealistic expectations of how your body should look may turn into unhealthy eating and exercise behaviors and disordered eating. Although athletes have the same risk factors for body image issues as non-athletes, athletes are constantly conflicted with two body images - one in sport and one outside of sport. The body that is fit for performance may not meet society's "thin" ideal.  For athletes, there are two wardrobes. Clothes that are designed for functionality and performanace and clothes for outside of sport - work, leisur...

Beat the winter blues with your tribe

 The winter can be a challenging time when it's cold and dreary but getting outside to exercise is an immediate mood booster. And as the saying goes, there's no bad weather, only bad clothing. On Saturday morning, Karel went gravel biking with our friend Alvi and I joined the GVL WBL  group ride. I've participated in this winter bike league for the past few years and it has significantly helped my mental health in the winter. Being inside or alone with my own thoughts is challenging for me and I find that I am the happiest when I am with people. I feel incredibly lucky that I have several swim partners and bike partners to help get me out the door when the weather is less than ideal.    I returned home from my ride shortly before Karel and for the next 20 minutes, I couldn't stop talking about the ride. I told him about the 60+ people that showed up, the horses that ran alongside us in a farm, the guy who didn't have the best bike handling skills and was making me ...