As unpleasant as it sounds, we are currently living in a world that appraises people based on their physical characteristics and adopt their social interactions accordingly.The propensity to relate certain body characteristics with personal traits, has become a widespread stereotype.
With the rising trend of “skinny is the new fit” portrayed by the media, everyone, especially women, are losing their plot to fit some fake beauty criteria, mainly constructed by society. The upshots of that matter are rather grave, as studies have shown that trying to attain an idealized body image, donates to eating disorders, causing anorexia, bulimia and an excessive inclination towards plastic surgery.
Accordingly, with the unbelievable multifaceted pressure exerted for people to look like they came out of a magazine, we have witnessed the contra trend emboldening a culture of body positivity, reflected by “plus size” models.
Whilst evidence divulged that the trend of plus size models has made a considerable positive mind shift towards self-perception, some have exposed otherwise. According to a study conducted by Dr. Raya Muttarak, from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), in Austria, “the normalization of ‘plus-size’ body shapes may be leading to an increasing number of people underestimating their weight—undermining efforts to tackle England’s ever-growing obesity problem.”
The perplexity of how exactly to treat your body in the right way, is overgrowing. The dilemma of losing weight and getting fit or accepting your genetic shape, is a big mind-twister for many.
So, 925egypt took this controversial matter to an expert in the field, to give us a detailed account on the rightful ways to treat your body.
Mahmoud El-Guindi, the co-founder of CrossFit engine 38 and the establisher of “Garage Gear Fitness Equipment”, has had sports running in his blood ever since he was 12. Working out for El Guindi is not only a necessity, it’s also what keeps him fired up as he goes through life.
He had a rather positive yet cautionary return on the sudden upsurge on the culture of body positivity. “I totally support the idea of loving your body, since there is no such thing as an ideal body. Living in the digital media era makes us more exposed to how others act and look. We are easily manipulated to blindly follow models, while in fact experiences have shown that those models are not even close to having a perfect lifestyle, witnessed by their very own selves. However, going on the extreme side of the spectrum and abusing your body and disregarding its health conditions under the umbrella of embracing and loving yourself, is going to add more to your bill. The price of remaining unhealthy for long periods of time, is not worth it.”
So “what exactly does it mean to be healthy?” El-Guindi said that being healthy is a biological state, where a lot of aspects are to be considered. Primarily, people need to know that the outer look is never a good indicator of how healthy a person is. “Looks can be very deceiving! Skinny can be malnourished, and muscular can include a wholesome of cardiovascular unrest.”
From a personal stance, El-Guindi revealed that the best way to measure how healthy a person is, is to consider their body performance throughout the day, energy level, functioning efficiency, medical condition, and overall psychological well-being.
“Working out is an essential part of my life, it induces my mental and physical well-being. Mentally, working out is my gateway from all the stress I deal with, either from work or everyday responsibilities. Physically, working out helps me maintain the healthy body I always wanted to have and pushes me beyond my limits,” said El- Guindi.
He had a very insightful take on the argument that “sports like any other hobby, isn’t for everyone”. He believes that Egyptians relish being lazyand that doing absolutely nothing is engraved in their cultural DNA. “Physical activity is less likely to happen in our daily routines. You would rarely find anyone taking the stairs, cycling to work, or running the streets. So, to finalize this matter, if you want to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle, working out is imperative.”
El Guindi concluded that the answer to having a healthy body is simpler than we think. Everything in life is like an individual journey, where one must find a perfect balance based on their circumstances. Food intake should be well studied and supported by physical activity. Don’t back out on walking an extra mile, tentatively calculate energy expenditure (in calories), and accommodate it with the proper diet that serves your fitness goals and body type.
