Hygge (pronounced hue-guh). It’s a word that’s been popular lately. It’s defined as “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).”

Hygge is usually used to refer to soft blankets, flowers, candlelight, etc. But what if we applied it to how we view our bodies?

In How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life, author Signe Johansen postulates that maybe people worry less about what their body looks like in a culture where strength is important to get you through a hard winter, and where there’s a lot less of the year for parading around in skimpy clothing.

That really got me thinking. I wish I could say that I no longer care what my body looks like, but that would be a lie. 😉 BUT, through my journey of discovering my love for exercise, I’ve realized a few things:

#1 It’s much easier to gain strength than to lose fat. Assuming of course that you are the average, sedentary individual, and you don’t have a specific disease/disability preventing you, you can workout and not worry too much about what you eat, and you WILL gain muscle/strength. Aerobic exercise in particular is still helping your heart, whether you’re losing weight or not. If you are working out, you *will* be stronger AND healthier, whether or not you look any different on the outside.

#2 Working out makes you feel AMAZING. I know, I know, you’ve tried it and that’s not how it made you feel. 😉 It can take a few tries sometimes. Find something you enjoy. But the endorphin rush is real. Besides, working out boosts your self-esteem. I used to think it was just me. I noticed that when I worked out, I felt better about myself. Kind of like “I may be overweight, but I workout“. 😉 BUT, it’s been studied, and it turns out I wasn’t the only one!! Plus, aerobic exercise has proven benefits in regards to anxiety and depression.

#3 It helps to have different goals. For instance, when I was training for my half marathon, I was also (irregularly) working on strengthening my core. When I finished my half marathon and spent more time on overall body strengthening, I started to notice that my core was (finally) getting stronger. Things like core strength can improve really slowly, but I had been so focused on my running that I was able to work on my core without overthinking it and getting discouraged. I have several goals that I work on at the same time, and when it seems like I’m not making any progress on one, I’ll often find that I’m finally making progress on another.

The bottom line is, eat and move to *be healthy* and to *feel good*, and stop worrying about what you look like for swimsuit season. 😉

Have some goals you need help with? Or need help even knowing where to start? Maybe I can help! 🙂