CrossFit and Confidence
Guest post series by Mollie Lipka
In my introduction post, I stated that regular exercise and a nutritious diet should be a priority for everyone but left the questions of ‘why CrossFit?’ and more specifically, ‘why CrossFit for moms?’ open. Throughout this blog series, I’ll be talking more about this and why I wholeheartedly believe CrossFit can help usher in positive change in all areas of our lives – starting with SELF-CONFIDENCE.
Self-confidence is something that most of us struggle with. If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know that this struggle can be even more difficult to navigate before, during, and after pregnancy. We are subjected to so many societal standards that it is hard to extend ourselves any grace. Seeing as we grow and nurture other humans, we truly should! If you’ve ever had a friend tell you that she ‘has to lose 15 more pounds before she wants to try to conceive’, have overhead someone asking an expecting mother if she’s having twins (“No, I’m positive there’s just one baby in there. Thanks.”) or have listened to friends compare their postpartum body to someone else’s, listen up. As humans, we all have moments of doubt, insecurity, and feelings that perhaps we don’t measure up – either to our own rigid standards or the standards of others. These feelings are completely normal, so when we inevitably have them, we should work to make negative self-talk positive – especially if you are trying to conceive, are pregnant, or have recently had a baby. I know this is often easier said than done, but I also know that CrossFit can help. How?
Exercise makes you feel good about yourself (it’s science) and balances your hormones. When our hormones are happy, we are happy. Women of all ages (and especially those in their childbearing years) should strive for the healthiest of hormones, and here’s a 10 second breakdown of why:
Oxytocin – Also known as the ‘hormone of love’. Promotes connection with other people.
Testosterone – Promotes confidence and a healthy sex drive.
Progesterone – Helps keep you calm.
Cortisol – Helps your body deal with stress.
Leptin – Regulates energy balance.
Estrogen – Promotes strong bones and clear skin.
While exercise makes you feel good about yourself, CrossFit makes you feel like a badass. You are constantly challenged and taxed. You are asked to do things you think you may not be able to do. But you do them to the best of your ability, and gain even more self-confidence for it. Before any physical benefits start gracing you with their presence, the emotional and mental strides you’ll make by doing CrossFit regularly will be so fantastic that once you do start seeing changes in your body composition, it’ll just be the icing on the cake. Before I saw a single muscle pop, admired a great pump, or saw any difference in the scale or my measurements, my confidence skyrocketed because I was happy and becoming more and more comfortable in my own skin. It is infinitely easier to recognize negative self-talk and practice body positivity when you are happy and healthy.
Post workout stretch at Rhapsody CrossFit.
Before you think I’m shallow or superficial for mentioning body composition and confidence in the same post, consider just how much our self-confidence touches everything else in our lives. It has a far reach and a firm hold on everything from our careers to our relationships to how we parent. I promise you that how we physically look is the smallest part of this. At Rhapsody, our community is focused on helping you develop the confidence you need to speak up in a meeting, take charge of a project at work, stick to your guns when it comes to disciplining and guiding your children, be confident and joyful in relationships, and demand what you deserve and want out of life. (As mentioned above, the hot body is a great bonus.) We get this one precious ride – and so often we forget we are behind the wheel! Steer, baby, steer!
