Propaganda I’m not falling for in health, wellness and life

We’re talking propaganda I’m not falling for in health, wellness and life.

I saw this trend on Instagram and thought it would make a great post. 

While the term propaganda is usually negative and political (in fact, the definition of the word propaganda is actually “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view”), today, I’m using the word in a bit more light-hearted way. We’re talking about things I don’t really believe in in health, wellness and life. Here we go …

If you open up social media and have a lot of fitness content in your feed, you might end up very confused after a good scroll. You have the Pilates ladies claiming all you need to do is use your bodyweight and do crunches every day, or take expensive classes on a reformer machine; then, you have the weightlifting ladies saying you have to lift heavy weights on the fitness floor; and then, you even have the home-workout ladies, who swear by online programs.

 

But here’s the deal: There really isn’t a single best way to exercise. And all exercise is good exercise. What your body needs is to be challenged by movement, and if the only way you want to move is to dance or to run, then go for it. Sure, it’s probably ideal to follow a program or work with a trainer and do strength training (or may I recommend group fitness?), but in the end, finding movement that you enjoy and will do regularly is the ultimate goal. Don’t worry about doing the best way to exercise, worry about exercising at all. And don’t let anyone change your feelings about the workouts that you love and you’re willing to do.

 

Crocs as an everyday walking shoe.

These are no for me. And they’re a no for Brady, because I’m not buying them for him (and yes, he’s asked). I don’t love the look of Crocs for many reasons, but what I also don’t like about Crocs is that the majority of time, when people (or kids) wear these plastic shoes, they shuffle, drag or slide their feet while walking in a lazy way. When was the last time you saw someone in Crocs walking with purpose and with a good heel-to-toe roll? That’s because there’s no arch support or heel support, and yet Crocs have a weird platform base. It’s not great.

 

Listen up, if you want to slide on your Crocs to take out the trash, grocery shop or march down to the beach on vacation, do it. But I wouldn’t wear them all the time and let your feet get used to that mold. Barefoot is probably better. Also, Crocs just wouldn’t look good on me and my big feet, and so they’re off my list totally. But for real, if you like ’em, wear ’em. As we discussed, this is just my personal feeling. 

Making everything you eat and use from scratch.

Because this is my list of propaganda I’m not falling for in the health and wellness world, making everything from scratch had to be on here. Of course, it’s probably better when everything you eat and use in your home is made fresh and D-I-Y created. But not only is that not realistic for the average busy person, it’s also not necessary.

 

If there are a couple things you know you can make better than store bought, do it. But don’t stress yourself into thinking you’re only a healthy human if you make everything from scratch. That’s just not the case. Make the best choice you can, most of the time, even if that includes some convenience items. 

Avoiding sugar and desserts like they’re the devil.

The other day, I saw a male influencer post that he hasn’t eaten a piece of birthday cake (or any cake) in five years. He doesn’t eat his kids’ birthday cakes, his wife’s birthday cakes or his own. Why? Because he wants washboard abs all year round. And this is the kind of thing you might see on social media and then feel bad about yourself and the fact that you eat cake.

 

Last weekend was a holiday weekend here, and I ate cake four nights in a row. I felt fine. I looked the same as I did before I ate the cake. And I literally cannot stand for people condemning others for eating dessert for pleasure, as long as it’s mostly in moderation. Sure, maybe you need to take a look at your overall diet and ensure every meal isn’t completely sugar laden, but avoiding dessert for your entire life in the name of health is 100 percent propaganda to me. 

 

People pleasing in the name of likability.

I just had this discussion with a co-worker the other day, and so it’s timely for this list of propaganda I’m not falling for in the health and wellness world. Being a people pleaser isn’t always a good thing, particularly if you try to please other people so much that you forget to please yourself. And if you’re trying so hard to make people like you that you’re never all that honest, well, that’s not good. (I know this type of person, who just won’t speak up, and instead of seeming nice, they come off as someone who isn’t 100 percent genuine or trustworthy.)

 

I will say that not people pleasing is especially hard for women, because we want to be liked. Did you know you can still be liked even if you speak your mind, say no sometimes and have boundaries? You can. Over the years, I’ve had times when I was more of a people pleaser than others. And I would say, I’m somewhere in the middle now — getting a little more firm with my choices and boundaries as the years go on — particularly in my personal life. But also, because I work in customer service in a way as a group fitness instructor, I need to walk a fine line in my professional life. Moral of the story: Trying to make everyone happy and everyone like you will drive you mad, and that’s just not healthy at all.

Obsessing over material things in the name of health.

I get it, I love nice things and gadgets, and I wish I had more of them. But ultimately, the things that make me the happiest in life are my family, my health, my work and experiences.

 

Although I like to share the things I’m buying and using with you, I try not to focus solely on material things in my life or in my content. You don’t need 1 million dresses and 1 million pairs of shoes to be happy and/or fashionable. You don’t need 1 million wellness tools to have true wellness. You also don’t need to associate your self worth with what you have.

 

In the health and wellness world, it seems like these days you need to own an infrared sauna, a cold plunge, a red light therapy wall and expensive compression boots in order to be healthy. But you don’t. These things are nice to have, not have to have. You should exercise, sleep and eat mostly healthy food, because all of that stuff matters more than material things.

Pretending everything’s perfect and wanting everything to be perfect.

Oh, hi, it’s me, I’m Ashley, and I’m very much an imperfect human. I have an imperfect life. And you know what? I’m happy! Of course, social media is a big vehicle driving the appearance of “perfect existences” and I’m not falling for that propaganda.

 

We have to remember that having issues, problems, stresses and quirks in your life is totally normal and acceptable. Striving for perfection is a fruitless effort. But striving for better is worthwhile.

 

You may not always feel great, you may not always look presentable and you may not always get it right. But as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’re heading in the right direction to a good (and imperfect) life.

 

 

And we’ll stop there for now! 🙂 

 

Thanks for reading this post about propaganda I’m not falling for in health, wellness and life. As always, these statements are nothing but my personal opinions shared with you for some entertainment. Hope you have a fun and propaganda-free day!

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Question of the day for you

What’s one piece of propaganda you’re not falling for?