Mirrors Hurt Body Image and

Exercise

We're constantly being told that exercise is good for us: good for our health, good for our moods, good for fun.

Truth be told, though, we exercise mostly to shape our bodies. We want to look toned and trim, like all the smart, successful men and women that fill the media.

Our body image and our willingness to exercise, especially those of us who tend to be sedentary, appears to be negatively affected if we exercise in a mirrored environment.

Dr Martin Ginis and colleagues at McMaster University found that even women with good body image felt worse about their bodies after exercising in a mirrored room.

Constantly checking out our bodies in reflective surfaces encourages us to judge them negatively, comparing them to an unrealistic ideal. "Get rid of the mirrors" suggests Merryl Bear, director of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, www.nedic.ca. "Let's celebrate and enjoy our capacity to move in different ways".

"Physical activity is important to our physical and mental wellbeing," says Bear. "We need to ensure that the exercise that we do is good for us - many individuals use excessive exercise to try and manage their emotions through controlling their weight and bodies."

On the other hand, says Bear, individuals who don't get enough exercise are missing out on both the joy of being able to move their bodies well, and the health benefits of being active.

The experts' message is that being active can be part of one's daily routine, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Playing with the dog. Or the kids. It all accumulates, and is good for us. No need to go for the burn - go for the fun.

- News Canada