When I was a little girl I really really liked sweets. We were only allowed candy from time to time, but when I had some I would gobble it like a hamster. When I was in school, I could easily eat a bag of gummy bears or a block of chocolate in one go – when I was in university I could even finish two. Fortunately, I am blessed with fairly healthy teeth. Unfortunately, I knew almost nothing about movement, exercise or workouts. Please note, this was before you could access information online. What I knew came from books and magazines. I tried to go jogging, which turned into a huffing puffing shuffle after only a few steps.
As you can probably imagine, I was overweight. In a family of naturally lean and small-framed people, I was considered the “strong” one. It was not a compliment. It meant big, bulky, obese. To make matters worse, other kids would also pick on me, calling me names. As soon as I had sufficient information on weight loss and exercise I resolved never to be strong again. I would be small and fragile! Undereating and over-exercising did the trick. Nevermind that I lost most of my hair in the process.
But after moving to the other side of the world, getting an adult job and having a baby, something amazing happened. The world changed. Really!
Sometime during the past ten years, although I didn’t even notice at first, it became okay for women and girls to be “strong”. More exactly, the meaning of the word “strong” seemed to have shifted. It no longer meant ‘large-framed’ or ‘big’. Now it meant ‘fit’, ‘functional’, healthy’. Wow!
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists three meanings for “Strength”:
1. the quality or state of being strong : capacity for exertion or endurance
2. the power to resist force : solidity, toughness
3. the power of resisting attack : impregnability
Thanks to Social Media, Health and Fitness Influencers and a gradual shift in culture when it comes to body image, today strength is recognised as a stepping stone to a long and healthy life. Weight training is promoted and encouraged for all genders and (I am especially grateful for this one) the term “skinny fat” has been coined for the unhealthy body image of lean people with no visible muscle mass.
Remember the moment in time where I realised I was not strong enough for my son?
In the time since I’ve discovered that there is a level of strength, a capacity for exertion and endurance, which is just right for me. And I believe there is a right level for every single person. This level of strength lets you perform your daily tasks with ease – and perhaps a little extra in case of emergency.
Personally, I define my level as being able to lift my son at any time, being able to run after him should he be absconding, and hoist myself up from hanging by my hands (in case I ever fall off a bridge or building. You never know…). Yours may be completely different.
I call this Everyday Strength. The strength you personally need to function day by day.
Yesterday my family took me climbing. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I’m afraid of heights, but really wanted to explore my limits. To my absolute astonishment I climbed the easy, medium and even some of the hard climbs with ease, and without even breaking a sweat! Let me repeat, I have never been climbing before. But I have a decent level of basic all-round strength, which lets me try new things with my family and I LOVE IT.
Do you need a gym membership? Absolutely not. While gym is great for some people, many (including myself) are just not comfortable being there.
Do you need to look like a bodybuilder? Definitely not. Muscle mass can be so deceiving. The strongest person I know personally looks a very normal size, and you only have to do a quick search on Youtube to find some amusing proof that more muscle does not automatically mean more strength.
Can your personal strength level change? It definitely will. Everyday Strength is a process of constant adjustment of what is important to you and what you are able to achieve with the body you have.
Join me as I explore the concept of Everyday Strength.
I’m excited to read more!