Every Body is a Summer Body: Three Things to Strive for This Summer Instead of a "Summer/Beach Body”

We are knee-deep into summer! While there are many exciting and laid back aspects to summer, there can also be a lot of pressure to get your body “beach ready”. This pressure comes from social media, diet culture, advertisements - it’s everywhere! Another troubling thing is that this pressure exists all year round, but can feel amplified in the summer. This pressure can lead one to diet, restrict, ramp up their exercise and attempts at changing their body, and can create swirling thoughts and anxiety about one’s body and food intake. The truth is that your body is expecting and deserving adequate nutrition, hydration, sleep, self-care, enjoyable movement, and grace as it does in any other season, so there’s no actual need to make all sorts of changes just because it’s summer. Making changes such as restrictive eating or engaging in movement or exercise more so for punishment or in an attempt to change your body for a particular season really only perpetuates long-standing, harmful, and unfair “beauty standards” that some bodies are “better”, more worthy, or more valuable than others. So, what are other things to focus on or strive for this summer in place of seeking that “beach body”, and how can your summer be different? We have a few ideas (and of course there are many more!):

Having fun!

Summer is chock full of fun activities and events! Your body, exactly as it is, is invited to participate in any and all of them!

Here are just some ideas: 

• Take a walk or sit in the park at sunset

• Play frisbee in the park

• Swim because it feels refreshing

• Garden

• Attend an outdoor concert

• Go watch a movie in the park 

• Spend time a summer festival

• Check out a farmer’s market near you

• Ride your bike with your family or friends

• Try a new activity like archery, rollerblading, or paddleboarding

• Read a good book on the beach

• Take a nap in a hammock

  
  

Summer also brings back seasonal foods that connect with the events we enjoy this time of year. Think grilled burgers or hot dogs, potato salad, watermelon, and s’mores! Engaging in summer events and eating seasonal favorites helps us connect more with the spirit of the season. When this happens, we’re more likely to relax and be kind to ourselves, which helps shift the focus away from our bodies and appearance. Think about the summer memories you want to look back on with joy and fondness, and know that your body, just as it is, doesn’t keep you from making them.

Self-Compassion

Negative body image thoughts can feel amplified in the summer when those pressures to meet socially constructed body ideals are pushed in front of our faces. If you are struggling with your body image and pressures to change it, try to name and validate what you feel, and then take a step back. It can be easy to get lost in negative body image thoughts, and the thoughts can come fast. From there, negative self-talk can take over and it can feel hard to slow down or stop. If you can name how you feel, you might be able to reflect on why you feel that way and what’s bringing up the body image distress. Sometimes, it isn’t really about your body at all, and the pressure is coming from another source. If you can lend yourself some self-compassion and find perspective, the negative body image thoughts may ease a bit or at least leave you in a better place to refocus. This can be hard to do, and it can be done. It’s also true that you can have difficult body image thoughts and choose to be kind to yourself at the same time. If you’re having thoughts such as “I can’t go on that summer vacation until I lose weight” or “I can’t wear a swimsuit at the beach until I lose weight”, remind yourself you deserve to enjoy that vacation, and to wear your swimsuit and enjoy the sun and water at the beach. If you’ve having thoughts such as “I shouldn’t eat that ice cream” or “eating a burger on a bun and having potato salad is too many carbohydrates”, remind yourself to check the morality around food and that you can enjoy these (and any) foods without guilt. This is all easier said than done. With practice holding space for self-compassion, it will get easier over time.

Self-Care

We hear a lot about self-care these days, and for good reason. Self-care is important for multiple components of your health (including mental, physical, spiritual, and social aspects) regardless of your appearance or body size. At a time of year where bodies can be very scrutinized and we are more critical of our bodies, remembering that your body deserves self-care can help stave off the judgment and leave more space for enjoying the summer months.

Summertime self-care can look like:

• Staying hydrated on hot days.

• Wearing sunscreen.

• Getting enough sleep.

• Eating regular meals that keep your energy up.

• Spending time with supportive people.

• Taking breaks when you're overwhelmed.

• Setting boundaries with conversations that revolve around dieting or body shaming.

• Giving yourself permission to rest without feeling guilty.

Let it All Sink In…

These are just three ideas of things you can focus on this summer instead of changing your body. You can also reflect on what else is important to you or resonates more. Think about the memories you want to make, the opportunity to find joy in time with friends and loved ones, how you really want to feel over the summer, and the memories you want to look back on. Your body, just as it is, deserves a happy and fun summer!

Written by Sarita Aguirre, MS, RDN, LDN, CEDS-C