You know you feel better when you exercise, so why do you sometimes hear a voice in the back of your head throwing up any excuse not to go for a swim? Perhaps you feel that you need to lose a few pounds before you’re confident hitting the pool or maybe you just don’t feel good in your swimsuit? Whatever’s holding you back, it’s time to banish your body hang-ups once and for all, and develop your inner confidence.
Feeling comfortable in your own skin is not about having the perfect body – whatever you may perceive that to be. It’s about celebrating what your body’s capable of, not what it looks like. All too often, we’re critical of our bodies, but do you ever take a moment to you praise your body for what it can do? Feeling fit, strong and physically capable is something to be proud of, whether you’ve just won a race, swum your best lap ever, or simply made it to the pool for the first time in months. Appreciate your body for what it can do and give it the credit it deserves.
Make exercise a pleasure
If you find an exercise class or hobby that you love, you’ll always find a way to make it happen even on those days when your schedule’s crazy. In the pool, there’s plenty to choose from depending on your experience and level of ability; swimming, aqua Zumba™ and aqua aerobics are perfect for toning up and getting fit. It’s always great if you can drag one of your friends along with you. That way, you can motivate each other if one of you is having a bad day and threatening to skip a session.
Classes are also a great way to meet new people, boost your endorphin levels and improve your confidence, so don’t let how you feel about your body hold you back from doing things that you may enjoy. The thought of trying something new for the first time can be intimidating and if you’ve never been to a class before, it’s natural to be a little nervous. Perhaps you feel self-conscious about going to an aqua fitness session because you’re worried about looking silly or performing the wrong move? Ask yourself whether you’d pay attention if another member of the class made a mistake – chances are you wouldn’t even notice. It helps to put everything in perspective. Take a deep breath, get in the pool and take part. Every time you face your fear, it gets easier, and as it does, your confidence grows.
Share positive vibes
Nobody’s perfect. Everyone has flaws, but the trick is to focus on the positives – feeling body confident is more about your state of mind than you might think. Write a list of all the things that are great about you and your body, ignoring the negatives. You’ll be surprised at how many things you actually like about yourself! Make sure you take the time to recognise and focus on these positives. Receiving a compliment is an immediate confidence booster, and it feels great to share the love, so take pleasure in giving compliments to those around you too – it will help them to feel good about themselves.
The best swimsuit for your body type
Wearing a swimsuit can be daunting, but the key to feeling confident is to focus on what you like most about yourself and distract from the bits you’d rather keep under wraps. Whether you’re an Hourglass, Pear-Shaped, Inverted Triangle or Athletic body type, Speedo Sculpture’s range of women’s body-shaping swimwear caters to all shapes and sizes.
The collection has been designed using bust support, tummy control and clever visual detailing to leave you looking and feeling great. Using our exclusive technology, the swimwear slims and shapes, giving you that extra bit of body confidence both in and out of the pool.
If you’d like more advice about finding the most flattering swimsuit for your figure, read our article about the four different body types. Once you find that perfect swimsuit, your confident levels will soar and you’ll wonder what was ever holding you back!
