Sandra Raju, overflowing with zest for life, in the picture.

 

Summer is finally here, and with it, the beach season, bikini season, and outdoor sports season begin... No matter what hobby season the summer represents for you, the collective focus inevitably shifts more towards bodies and having or not having a "bikini body." Excessive stress and chasing unrealistic beauty standards can rob you of all your summer joy, but today's blog guest teaches a healthy approach to goal-setting without falling into extremes that compromise your mental or physical health.

  

Sandra Raju is a coach for the women's experience training ‘’Asi on minus’’, the host of one of Estonia’s most beloved podcasts ‘’Be 1st’’, a sports enthusiast, and a triathlete. As a former coach, Sandra has come into close contact with the art of body sculpting and the pain points that accompany it. "I first came to sports through dance. Training and performing with the TalTech Cheerleaders, I didn't realize for a long time that the topic of body image and appearance was a problem for me. When you're a dancer, people watch and judge you all the time, costumes are skimpy, and commenting on appearance is very common. Later, when I started my coaching career, the insecurities began to hinder my work. I kept thinking that now I am a role model. A role model for those who want to get in shape through training. One of the reasons why I gave up coaching was that I couldn't handle the pressure I had placed on myself about how I had to look to be a 'good' coach. Today, I've let myself go much more, but I wouldn't say that my body image issues have completely dissolved. They haven't, but I take it all more leniently and have found my own ways to heal my body perception."

If a person wants to lose weight or, in a better case, improve their fitness, it is important according to Sandra to figure out WHY they want to do it. "What is the reason you want to change your appearance? And not just one 'why', but ask multiple times and dig deeper. Things are much easier to do if we have a good reason to do them. When I started with triathlon, one of my reasons was that I needed discipline to stay in shape and look good. In hindsight, it might seem like a completely wrong goal to take on such a big thing just to 'look good'. But I wouldn't change anything because that was really my primary 'why' that drove me back then."

Sports enthusiast Sandra Raju in the picture.

 

"What is the reason you want to change your appearance? Things are much easier to do if we have a good reason to do them."

Secondly, Sandra finds that paying attention to one's appearance and, if necessary, talking about losing weight shouldn't be a topic to deny or interpret as socially unethical and hush up. "Just recently, we had a discussion with 'Asi on minus' creators Killu Kolsar and Sandra Vabarna about the claim that the exterior is not important. I don't remember exactly how it was, but I know it touched me deeply, and I pointed out that it actually is important. Appearance is important for a great many people, and in a sense, it needs to be. Already in the physical key – a sound mind in a sound body. Of course, there are exceptional genetic problems and diseases that cause obesity, but evolutionarily, we as humans are not created to be overweight. It's easy to say that I don't want to change anything. But have you tried to live your life so that your health is in order, you have more energy, and fewer kilos on your back, which means you are able to do things you couldn't even imagine right now?"

"Some part of me understands people who are not sporty and who say that they hate sports. Because sports are indeed hard and force you to do things that are uncomfortable. But that's life! Sometimes I would like to shake people by the shoulders and tell them to make an effort! For some reason, however, saying such things out loud is no longer appropriate. People are sensitive, and this is directly related to the ability to make an effort. For example, in the case of sports people – if you know how to make an effort, you can also accept feedback, whether from yourself or a coach. However, if you haven't learned to receive feedback, then you are also not capable of receiving information if someone asks whether you have thought about eating healthier and starting to move. I'm not saying that training always has to be hard and nutrition hardcore healthy, but there has to be discipline – that you put down your fourth snack bar and take the stairs instead of the elevator. We wait for someone to introduce us to some super diet or food supplement that would help us get in shape quickly, but when we hear the advice that you should eat less unhealthily and you will lose weight, it is suddenly terribly offensive. This advice is free and works 100%, but the entire diet world is a money machine."

"Have you tried to live your life so that your health is in order, you have more energy, and fewer kilos on your back, which means you are able to do things you couldn't even imagine right now?"

Mental and physical health go together, and because stress is one of the biggest triggers for our unhealthy behavior patterns and weight gain, you have to find suitable tips for yourself to cope with it. "Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to do nothing at all. To just rest. My good friend, rower Kaspar Taimsoo, has aptly said that rest is for the strong. Often people think that those who struggle the most get far, but from elite sports, we know that the athletes who can rest most effectively win. Because that way we have the energy to do more later. You don't have to be at 40 degrees fever before taking a day off. Another thing that has helped me a lot is that I no longer inject myself with massive fake positivity. In the past, it was always: think positive thoughts, everything is actually fine, push yourself through, you can do it! But today I have realized that sometimes it is hard, and on some days, you have to let yourself be sad and feel your insecurities. Life doesn't have to be 100% all the time."

In order to find joy in achieving your goals despite difficult moments, you need to find the healthy habits that make you happy. "You have to learn to know yourself and understand what suits you and what doesn't. I'm 35 years old and I'm just starting to understand who I am. I have tried different sports – dancing, gym, running, and triathlon. If your goal is not to do achievement sports, then it is perfectly okay to do different things. To go and try! Next, I would like to try padel, for example. I like to think that when I am old and can no longer do sports physically, I will remember how cool it was to test my body in different fields."

"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to do nothing at all. To just rest."

We asked Sandra to also share three pieces of advice on which to blow a new, healthy life into your exercise habits this summer. "First, strength training. A great many women don't understand its importance. For most of us, the goal is to reduce fat percentage and look better – not just lose weight. Simply put, the greater your muscle mass, the more energy your body consumes to stay alive. So, the stronger your muscles, the more you can technically eat. When you start muscle training, the scale number should be secondary because muscle weighs more than fat. So if the scale stands still in the beginning, that's perfectly okay because your muscle mass is growing. And if you are afraid that as women you will immediately get crazily muscular, then ask any fitness athlete how hard they work to look the way they do. Thus, strength training is a 'must-be', and not just for appearance, but also for your health and bone strength for fifty years from now."

"Second, cardio – equally important, but often misunderstood. Cardio doesn't mean that you necessarily have to run or go on a cardio machine at the gym. Go for a walk, play disc golf with friends, or go have sex! Cardio doesn't have to be unpleasant."

"And thirdly, surround yourself with people who have a growth mindset, who also want to develop and get better. Most of the work has to be done by ourselves, but if you have a supportive partner by your side who cheers for your efforts and appreciates you, it is much easier to keep the right course."

Thanks to Sandra for these honest and inspiring thoughts! Keep an eye on Sandra's activities on Instagram @sandraraju and at asionminus.ee.  

Lots of joy of movement and a healthy summer to you!

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