Embracing body positivity and celebrating the self - Mayo Clinic Press

Before every workout, say: "I am moving because I love my body, not because I hate it." If you cannot genuinely say that about a planned workout, choose a different activity.

As you age, your body will change. It will wrinkle, soften, scar, and sag. Under the diet culture model, this is a tragedy. Under the body positive wellness model, this is a life well-lived. It is evidence of laughter, of healing, of carrying children or surviving storms, of years spent moving through a beautiful, complicated world.

As she walked along the beach, Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and self-love. She had always struggled with body image issues, comparing herself to others and feeling like she didn't measure up. But over the past year, she had made a conscious effort to shift her focus towards body positivity and wellness.

In a , wellness becomes about adding good things into your life rather than restricting bad things. It is the difference between "I have to run to burn off that bagel" and "I want to walk because the sunshine feels good and my legs need movement."

The world needs it now more than ever.

You do not have to wait until you are "perfect" to be healthy. You do not have to shrink to be worthy of care. You can, right now, in the body you have today, choose a walk, choose a vegetable, choose a nap, or choose a cookie. The only wrong choice is the one made from self-hatred.