Summer’s here and that means a lot of things; primarily body image things. It’s no secret that media and music influences our lives in so many ways, one of them being the way the members of the younger generations view themselves. Body image is the name of the game.
Swimsuit season is upon us, the season of image insecurities. Getting the “summer bod” becomes a main priority for many. Is it wrongly so? Not necessarily. Since school’s out and extracurricular activities are most likely over, I think taking an interest in staying active and working on fitness can do more good than harm. You don’t have your physical ed class or soccer club activities to lean on for physical exercise, so you’d better find a substitute method of staying healthy. What isn’t healthy however, is taking society’s expectations out of proportions. The goal is to stay healthy not to be burdened by the weight of needless insecurities and unjustified lack of self-satisfaction.
As for me, well I have a few things lined up for my last month in Abu Dhabi. Recently, and since my dance classes have ended, I’ve been learning popular dances through YouTube tutorials. I sincerely recommend dance or yoga as a fun and effective way of staying fit this summer. In addition to that, I also plan on taking a few summer dance classes and self-defense/Taekwondo classes at my dance studio, Arabesque Ballet Center. Another thing I advise anyone who, like me, is leaving the country – for university or whatever other reason – is taking self-defense classes, because you can never know what dangers lie await in the big bad world. Despite my being active this summer, I am still a victim of the times.
I too struggle with the way I look. Am I too fat? How much weight should I lose? Will I be accepted as I am at university? Those were some of the thoughts that had been burdening me for a while, but it was only recently that I decided that I was crazy to think that these questions are valid. They most definitely are not. Now I workout to stay healthy and fit, and not necessarily to lose weight. I hope everyone who is reading this can learn from my mistakes and ignore that annoying voice in their heads.
Remember: be fit, stay healthy, and have a wonderful summer!
By Nisma Hamid | @nismahamid
