What some individuals may not be aware of is that exercise as well as self-esteem are closely linked. It is widely known that engaging in physical activities and working out brings numerous benefits to an individual’s mental and physical health and maintenance, yet the relation between self-image and physical exercise can be a surprise to most.
This is the case as regular exercise improves your feeling good about yourself. Such workouts release endorphins into the bloodstream due to workouts, which greatly enhances one’s self-perception, making one’s life better and also making one an athlete in every sense.
However, in certain situations or specific moments in life, some people don’t know where to start or why to invest in sports. Therefore, if you plan to have a better quality of life, this content can help you. Follow along!
What does self-esteem mean?
A term coined in the 1950s, self-esteem means positive regard for oneself in contrast to the emotions, values and memories that a person has struggled with throughout their life. This concept is usually connected to each person’s sense of respect for themselves; this is the self-love which is unique and individual to every person.
However, with the popularization of this word within social networks, many people build self-esteem based on comparisons, after all, it is defined by an aesthetic standard that is far from reality as it is.
As a result, discussions about the body and what constitutes beauty have arisen, especially in the world of sports. After all, the new era of fitness influencers is promoting the idea that contemporary routines can be more flexible, allowing people to combine training with other daily activities.
However, sport and self-esteem are related in many other ways that go beyond high performance, especially because the term is based on other factors such as:
- Social skills.
- Identification of one’s own qualities.
- Self-control.
- Between others.
It is worth noting that all of the conditions mentioned may vary depending on the emotional state and routine of each person. After all, it is important to remember that there are other psychosocial factors that directly impact self-esteem.
How are sport and self-esteem related?
Regular exercise benefits cognitive abilities, as well as reducing stress and anxiety levels . There is also an improvement in blood circulation to the brain, preventing the degradation of neurotransmitters and improving the speed of cognitive processing.
In other words, physical exercise is important in several aspects to improve the health and well-being of each individual. Consequently, regular practice is directly linked to the individual’s capacity for self-acceptance and confidence.
Thus, it is possible to say that sport can improve self-esteem, because, in addition to the aesthetic issue, it can transform one’s mentality. Exercise provides a healthier life and, often, a body that meets one’s expectations, helping to build a more optimistic view of oneself.
There are some athletes who start playing sports with the intention of changing their lives, usually to lose weight or to stop being sedentary. However, they gain other benefits, such as emotional control, improved mood and combating cardiorespiratory diseases.
How do people perceive self-image?
Normally, each individual builds their self-image through their perception of their own body. This happens because this image is characterized by the way in which people will recognize and judge this person, which can affect the relationship they establish with their own aesthetic form.
As a result, people put excessive pressure on themselves to change their body shape without really worrying about their health, and this can have an aggressive impact on their psychological well-being in order to fit into the standard.
Nowadays, the constant search for a better physical appearance is considered a sociocultural fact. This is because dissatisfaction with one’s own body is possibly one of the main reasons that lead people to start exercising.
Relationship between self-esteem and gender
The What Women Want survey , conducted in 2019 by the company Kantar, showed that compared to men, women’s self-image is still considered lower. In addition, almost 20% of women feel low self-esteem and only 10% of men say the same . The explanation for this is due to some issues, which you can see below:
- Difficulty accepting one’s own limitations.
- Talking badly about yourself constantly.
- Fear of rejection.
- Constant search for praise and external recognition.
- Lack of self-confidence.
The beauty standard imposed on women is recurrent. Comparing oneself to other women directly influences self-esteem, as most of the time, women always place themselves in a position inferior to what they see.
Therefore, it is important to be aware that self-image undergoes transformations throughout life, and this depends on recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, in addition to seeking initiatives that are in tune with your personal tastes.
How to set goals to boost self-esteem?
Self-esteem is part of your personal identity and, therefore, it is important to take care of it through daily initiatives. Therefore, setting goals can be your first step towards improving your personal well-being.
Start with something simple, don’t judge yourself, get to know your body type and do something enjoyable. Little by little, you’ll feel a difference in your self-esteem because of the care you’re taking of yourself, using sports as the basis for a healthy lifestyle!