A good butt workout + Body love
Body confidence is a lifelong practice, and it has nothing to do with how good you look, how fit you are, or where you’re from. I’m not unique in feeling self-conscious about my body and unfortunately many women that have a blind love for how they look. We are SO hard on ourselves. Who hasn’t seen pictures of themselves years later and think “wow, I didn’t look as bad as I thought I did”. Ironically, as I get older I feel more grateful for what I have and the more I connect with my body through exercise, the more I appreciate it’s strength and function. There’s no magic quote or workout that will get you to glide effortlessly through the earth feeling good about yourself, but you CAN make progress my working on it!
Sometimes we see people who we think are confident and perfect, such as celebrities, and they are anything but. I’ve been reading Gisele Bundchen’s book Lessons, and I’ve been surprised to learn how she’s struggled with self image at times too! I mean, if she can’t get it together, how are we supposed to right? One thing that was very touching was to read about her breast implants and how she got them after nursing her kids and feeling like she needed to live up to her old body.
As a mother and someone that was judged by my appearance as a dancer, I can completely relate. We wouldn’t take back the experience of nursing our kids but boy do they leave a mess behind! It sounds like she didn’t necessarily feel better after getting them, so what’s the answer? In our minds there’s always going to be something to fix, so we may as well change our minds vs our bodies.
Some things that have helped me are:
- Working out regularly. Working out is not about changing how we look, it’s about changing our minds. That body connection is the most valuable thing we’ve got, especially as women. Working through breathing, strengthening and stretching are so powerful! That’s why I love dance fitness, you are deliberately moving as one with the music, and for that time, there’s just your little body, your breath and music. When my emotions are off the handle and I can’t think clearly, I know it’s because I haven’t had my daily dose of exercise. I try to not let 3 days in a row go by without working out, 2 are my max!
- Feeling your strength. When you workout regularly, you’ll feel stronger mentally and physically. This strength gives you a different vantage point about how you feel about your body. Your body becomes more than just something that must please people, it is your soul’s vehicle!
- Fake it til you make it. On the days where nothing fits and you feel uncomfortable in your skin, put on your favorite lipstick and strut. Think of a meeting you’ve been at where the most powerful person waltzes in the room. Are they the most attractive, fittest people there? Not necessarily, but they seem more attractive, right? People react to how you carry yourself and sense your confidence. When you perceive that feedback from others you will start feeling more confident!
“If anybody even tries to whisper the word diet, I’m like ‘go f*ck yourself'”! – Jennifer Lawrence
“You have to stand up up and say ‘There’s nothing wrong with me, my shape or who I am, you’re the problem'” – Jennifer Lopez
“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself”- Coco Chanel
“What makes you different or weird, that’s your strength”- Meryl Streep
“Self love is the greatest middle finger of all time” – Rebel Circus
Being in a fitness studio most days and having grown up on the ballet stage, I have seen it all when it comes to body confidence! Life is really short, and I think the most important thing is to realize that we can’t afford to waste time thinking negative thoughts about our bodies. I wish I could take back a lot of time from when I was a young ballerina thinking my butt was too big and soft. It wasn’t, it was perfectly mine. But I can’t take back that time!
Here is a butt and core short workout you can do at home.
This is a great series to connect with your core, gain flexibility and strengthen your glutes and hamstrings. In this workout, you’ll feel everything working at the same time even though it’s technically a glutes workout. At MaZi Dance Fitness, we work our bodies out holistically vs just
Pictures by Samir Abraham, Michigan Ave, Chicago one muscle group at a time. This approach saves time, is the most effective an is how one would work out as a professional dancer. This is for all levels, so put everything down and give it a whirl!
I would love to hear about your body confidence journey or tips that could help others! XO, Z
