Your body is perfect

In an era when it seems that we are all totally pre-occupied with how our bodies look, it’s not difficult to overlook how our bodies are actually functioning.

We tend to forget that we are the manifestation of what we do to our bodies, and our physical selves are merely a reflection of how our lifestyles have treated our skin, bones, muscles and connective tissue over the years.

Of course there are other influences at work here – our genes hard wire us to determine our physical being, but what science has discovered is that this hard wiring is not all encompassing. In fact, only around 40% of our physicality is genetically pre-determined.

The remaining 60% is determined by our lifestyles including what we eat, and whether or not we exercise. So whilst we might think that we’re stuck with a certain physical body, we’re not. We can change it by giving it different messages.

Now I’m not talking about morphing from a classic pear shape to a catwalk model here. What I am talking about though, is that a large part of how we look is not so much the genes we were born with, but what we’ve done with them since. 

It’s about the genetic expression of our genes - how our treatment of them has expressed themselves in our current human form.

Now, nothing happens overnight here. Your body is a long time in the making, and it’s not quick to change. But change it will, because your body is perfect. It perfectly responds to what you tell it to do.

Give it more energy, and expend less, it will store fat and get larger. Cut down on the energy intake and up the expenditure, and it will get smaller again.

Start training with weights, and not only will your muscles strengthen to compensate, but your bones will become bigger, denser. Start training for a marathon, and your body will adapt accordingly.

This principle is a basic element of the survival of our species. The perfect machines that are our bodies were always designed to change and adapt to their circumstances and surroundings.

So where does that leave us when we’re tossing up between liposuction and a new pair of runners? When we’re reading about the alleged wonders of a detox product that promises, well, pretty much everything you’ve ever dreamed of?

It leaves us in control. Because of our wonderful, amazing bodies, we can choose. We can make the perfect choice.

Michelle's Tip

Remind yourself of your body’s perfection next time you exercise.

When you’re jogging and you start getting short of breath, tell yourself that your body is responding exactly as it should do, ramping up the oxygen flow to fuel your muscles by increasing your rate of breathing.

If you’re lifting weights, as your muscles tighten and become full and pumped, remind yourself that this is only plasma caught within the muscle as it contracts - just as it’s meant to.  

Michelle Bridges is one this country’s most influential health and fitness experts, having helped Aussies lose over 1 million kilos to date on her online program. As a professional trainer and group fitness instructor with over 20 years’ experience, Michelle was a renowned industry figure before shooting to fame in 2007 on Channel Ten’s hit reality show The Biggest Loser in which she starred in 9 series. During this time she has broken two Guinness World Records, launched the highly successful Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation online program, published 11 bestselling books and created a hugely successful apparel and fitness equipment range exclusively rel="noopener noreferrer" for Big W. For more visit michellebridges.com.au