This Workout Gives You More Confidence Than a Bikini Body
Beach body season.
I'd love to hear your inner voice respond to those words:
a. "Ugh"
b. "Bring on the workouts"
c. "What's that?"
Beach body season can bring up all kinds of emotions: fear that we have to expose ourself in front of others, fear of judgement from others, fear of not being fit enough.
As a fitness instructor and personal trainer, I could easily capitalize on this fear and wave this made-up holiday flag all over my social media:
"Beach body season is approaching! You better run!
No, faster! You're never going to burn fat going at that pace! Better yet, sprint up that hill! Now drop and give me twenty!"
You guys. This is what marketing does. Marketing creates a problem so it can sell a solution.
Beach body season (which is not a real season) says this: your body needs to be jiggle-free, cellulite-free, and fat-free in all the right places to bring yourself to the beach.
I'm sorry, but who actually enforces these rules? Are there big beach body bouncers waiting at the beach entrance screening everybody before they can get in?
"Um, excuse me miss, but uh, you can't come in. You don't fit this picture *points to Instagram fitness model*"
"But please, my name is on the list! I signed up for her exact beach body program and did the workouts every day! Go ahead and look up my email!"
Even if you adhere perfectly to a program, there is no guarantee it will shape you into the body you want. What you need is to want the body you have.
While there are no real beach body police at the beach, they do exist in our heads because of what society has said is an acceptable body.
But we know those voices don't have authority over us in Christ.
In short, it’s time to let bikini beach body shaming voices know they aren't welcome anymore. Every time they show up, you can bring out your sword:
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” Song of Songs 4:7
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17
Because you don't have to worry about fitting in but keeping the bullies out.
What a Bikini Body Can't Give You
I asked a few friends what having a bikini body would give them. Here are some answers:
"At first pride in my appearance, and then the feeling that I needed to maintain at all costs"
"Sex appeal"
"Confidence, acceptance, pride, envy from others, admiration"
"A sunburned belly!"
That last woman is a realist!
A bikini body may promise to give you fleeting fame, but at what cost?
How much of your time, money, and relationships do you have to sacrifice to attain and maintain this kind of body, not to mention putting your body through the stress of squeezing yourself into a man-made body mold not fit for the majority of human beings? It’s unrealistic. And it gives you a sun-burned belly (if you aren’t wearing SPF).
But ultimately, even women who do achieve the highly acclaimed bikini body say it's not all we chalk it up to be. Take Tara Brumfitt who formed the Body Image Movement worked so hard for a bikini body competition to feel confident postpartum, and then afterwards wondered what it was all for. You can follow her journey in the Embrace body image documentary.
She went on to show her famous "after" picture as one that had rolls, extra skin, but mostly, a joyous smile. This before and after picture didn’t focus on how much weight she lost, but how much joy she gained from being content to be in her skin, just as she is.
A bikini body cannot give you what you can only get in Christ: to be loved and accepted as you are.
And that's exactly what this workout will help bring to light for you: not scorning who you aren't, but celebrating who you are!
The Workout That Will Give You More Confidence Than a Bikini Body
The movements below will help release the serotonin and endorphin army fitted with Scripture swords to help you feel more like yourself, and more willing to be yourself.
Because more than a bikini body, you have your body. Fantasy is often not kind to our minds, but we can deal with reality. We can live in the real world, in our real bodies. There is grace for what is, not for what if. Moving your body will remind you of that, and integrate both your mind and body together for the Spirit’s feeling of power, love, and self-control.
So here's the key to moving for confidence: conquer small strength challenges in a safe environment. The act of completing doable challenges not only builds bone and muscle and helps you feel more upright and confident, but getting to act on our environment and see redemptive change reflects autonomy, agency, and advancement, all Kingdom-oriented things.
You'll notice that during these movements, parts of your body will come alive.
You'll remember you have powerful legs to move you. Thank you, Jesus, for legs.
You'll remember you have arms to push away. Thank you God, for strong arms.
You'll remember your heart and lungs which constantly beat invisibly, without all the appreciation, admiration, and envy that a bikini body might give you.
Your body is God's grace, and by moving you experience His joy. But you'll realize you don't need to change the way you look. Moving will change the way you see.
Joyful Movement Confidence in Everyday Life
You don't have to go and lift barbells in the gym to accomplish this feeling. You can add small challenges to any type of movement you already enjoy:
Gardening: See how many weeds you can pull for time. Swap out an electric tool for a manual tool. Challenge yourself to garden more consistently.
Walking: Choose a hill to charge up and celebrate at the top. Pick a distance thats slightly farther than you have gone before. Get ahead of the dog you are walking.
Dancing: Pick the more advanced move and try it out. Get lower. Get higher. Reach farther! In short, get into the groove. All of it.
Yoga: Hold your bodyweight (like chair pose) for a certain amount of breaths, and then try to hold for one breath longer.
Supplementary At-Home Bodyweight Confidence Workout
Resistance training in particular improves confidence, rejection resistance, and resilience.
I won't tell you to lift heavy weights because I would need to be there to coach you through it, and often our body weight is more than enough.
However, lifting heavy things is super fun. Get an in-person trainer to help you progress if you want to try out lifting heavier.
I call this a supplementary confidence workout, because the focus of movement is on your everyday life, in engaging more in your life as it is, as you are. But like with any healthy diet, sometimes it’s nice to have a supplement to support your Joy Goals. So if you have taken my Fitness Motivator Quiz and landed on the Looker, or just want a body confidence boost in Christ, try this one out.
6x6 Bodyweight Workout
What you’ll need:
Mat
Yourself
Prayer intention: "The joy of the Lord is my strength" Nehemiah 8:10
Exercises:
6 Squats
6 good mornings
6 pushups
6 swimmers
6 shoulder taps
6 bicycle crunches
Repeat for 6 sets total
Challenge options:
For time
Level up
Maybe the best time to do this is before you go shopping for a bathing suit. By the way, bikinis are not mandatory for the beach. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in: one pieces, two pieces, wetsuits, rashguards, etc. There are so many great options out there, so don't limit yourself!
Just as movement is not limited to fitness at the gym, neither are you limited to the swimsuit ads you see. Stay focus on the grace of Christ by moving your body, and you'll find His joy!
Grace and joy,
Kasey
PS: If you’d like to step away from weight loss culture and into the freedom of intuitive health principles by grace, we invite you to start with our resources below:
