Strength and Self-Esteem: Conquering Body Image Struggles Through Training

By Lavanya

Jan 27, 202512 mins read

Strength and Self-Esteem: Conquering Body Image Struggles Through Training

​Shall we try this experiment? Stand in front of your mirror. It could be your bathroom mirror, or a full-length one in front of your wardrobe. Just stand in front of it and observe yourself. What do you feel? Happy with how you look? Or did you start listing all your 'problem areas' that you need to work on?


When was the last time you looked at yourself and felt happy with your physical appearance?


According to this study published in the IJERT in 2021, approximately 91% of the Indian women suffer from negative body image. Considering the population of India, this is a sizeable number of the population that is suffering from low self-esteem and poor body image! 


And this isn't confined to young people alone - older adults are also affected by body dysmorphia. 


So, the question we would like to answer today is: what can we do to promote positive self-esteem? Can strength training help beat back those bad body image days and build better body image? 


To put simply: yes! A resounding yes is the answer to these questions. Let's lift the lid on the how. 


Focus on what your body can DO, not what your body looks like


This has to be the biggest advantage of weight training. When you see your body move heavy weights, when you see the weights that looked intimidating just a few months back just fly up, it becomes easy for you to revel in what your body can do. How fabulous is your body that it is able to squat so well? Or that you are able to press your body weight with ease? 


This is an easy way to turn the positive outlook on. By focusing on what you and your body are capable of. This will help you work on your sense of self and the last thing you would do then is make room for any sort of negative emotions about your body. 


Hard to diss your thighs when it is helping you squat deep, right? 


Let your progress fuel your confidence


Strength and Self-Esteem: Conquering Body Image Struggles Through Training

The tricky thing with body dysmorphia is that it exaggerates your smallest 'faults' and causes it to balloon into something massive. This disconnect between how your body is in reality vs how we perceive it iny our heads takes on a life of its own. Strength training can be a valuable tool in correcting this vision. 


How? By providing you with tangible proof of progress. When you see your strength levels improving day by day, when you see how you are able to lift heavier weights, when your endurance levels are going up, when your energy levels go up because of the work you are putting in, it will get easier to push your negative perceptions aside. There is no room for body shame when this newfound confidence fuelled by your new powerful body floods your system!


Reduce the noise created by social media platforms and the impossible beauty standards


Young women of today are bombarded by not only the societal beauty standards but those amplified by the various social media platforms as well. No wonder the demand for cosmetic surgery is so high! In this highly charged environment, it is so hard to have a healthy body image. 


But this is where resistance training comes into its own. By instilling a sense of self-confidence and turning the focus to topics such as strength, good health and well being. Appearance and body shape cannot take center stage in such an environment! Thus, strength training helps to cut yourself off from the body image concerns and unrealistic body standards, and focus instead on your personal growth.  


Promote body positivity


Strength and Self-Esteem: Conquering Body Image Struggles Through Training

When you see the positive changes happening in your body and the positive effects weight lifting is making to your body shape and size, you will be able to move away from social pressures and turn the focus on how your new strong body feels. Because a strong body feels AWESOME! When your muscles are firing, your joints are juiced and your body comes together as a whole to move with grace and purpose, the positive self-image it generates within you is unparalleled. 


More good things coming your way


As the old adage goes, Rome was not built in a day. Similarly, the positive impact of strength training on your physical health as well as your mental health condition also will not manifest overnight. But what it does do is provide the impetus to carry on. With every single day you put in the work, every session you give your all to, good things start to happen inside you. Your body gets flooded with endorphins that enhance your mood. Your mental clarity improves. 


The more consistent and dedicated your efforts, the more lasting the change in your body and mind. The more you show up for yourself, the harder it will get for you to ignore the positive changes taking place in your body. 


In the long-term, your quality of life will improve; your negative body image perceptions will go away; your negative feelings regarding your self will have no room in your life. You will have better self-esteem. 


Strength training shifts your focus from aesthetics to performance. It encourages progress, not perfection. It helps foster a deeper and true connection with your body and helps to redefine how you see yourself. 


Get to know the positive effects of strength training and the supportive environment .Get in touch with us!