Finding the right gym environment
The menopause space is a pretty good microcosm for the health and fitness space in general. And it can be a weird one. I honestly don’t know why gym environments are so often off-putting. When this happens, we’re sensing value systems that don’t align with ours. We feel like there’s a moat put up – and we’re on the outside looking in . Since I’m in the health business, I spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about what health environments feel like – and what feeling environments think like).
Before you get there
Very simply, an anxiety-based bait-and-switch makes it impossible for the process to begin in a healthy way. Is the starting assumption that you suck now BUT will be great later? This is why I have always avoided before-and-after photos. That doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to anxiety about… whatever body part. That’s factory-installed in most humans.
However, self-contempt is a volatile energy source. If you have to dislike something about yourself to take action, what happens when those strong feelings go away? There’s so much value in the process of exercising and taking care of our health that there’s a far more reliable layer of underlying motivation inside of you. It’s quieter and often more subtle, but that’s the current you need to tap into to make this stuff lifelong – and enjoyable for its own sake.
When you arrive
Have you ever walked into a new space and felt like you’re immediately being painted into a corner? Even as you learn the rules, you get a sense that you’re not being accepted as you are – in the present moment? That this particular privilege delayed until some future date when you’ve reached a certain external standard? Also worth asking: are those goalposts just going to keep moving?
As you work
Is the focus on process or outcomes? Does it matter what you’re wearing? Do you need to change how you behave? Or can you find peace by simply being in process – doing the work in a way that aligns with your values?
When you look around
Are you able to experience success simply by showing up as you are, being kind, and challenging yourself? That should be enough for any environment worthy of you, {{ subscriber.first_name }}.
Are there healthy boundaries?
Inclusive doesn’t mean everything is a go. That’s the paradox of tolerance. You have to be willing to draw a hard line on certain things so that there’s space for everything else. And unfortunately, there’s plenty of problematic behaviour in health circles. One minute, someone’s talking about toxins, and the next, you’re hearing a half-baked eugenics take.
FFS
Health is health. We need a scientific lens – absolutely. But a healthy environment is also one where you can breathe in deeply without inhaling any red flags.
© 2024 All Rights Reserved
