#bebodyaware

When it comes to our bodies, we can be many things... #bodyobsessed #bodyconscious #bodyconfident...but are any of us #bodyaware?

I have always had a healthy relationship with my body image, usual hang ups of course, but I have a respect for my body, particularly since it has produced three children!

Dancing from a young age makes you very 'aware' of your body and often this can lead to body image issues particularly with young people, but luckily for me it had an opposite effect and I have always felt proud of my body and what it could and still can achieve. But perhaps now, with young children who are growing up and begin to think of it more reflectively, it was the way (whether my parents realised it or not) I was brought up. My parents led healthy lifestyles, and we were an active family and bodies just weren't a 'thing' in our household. Something that I am very keen to repeat bringing up my own family. And to never take anything, especially your health, for granted.

Nine years ago, I learnt how true that was when my mum was 'out of the blue' diagnosed with Advanced Ovarian Cancer. My world changed forever. A huge shift happened in me and my outlook on life, perhaps without releasing it, and has become something I have been trying to champion ever since.

My mum was the centre of our whole family. Only now, as a mother myself, do I truly understand the sacrifices she made to raise four children. Ovarian Cancer has no routine testing and the symptoms can be masked or mistaken for so many other female 'ailments' and unfortunately this was the case for my mum. And this is the reason we need to tune in with our bodies...what is the norm, so we know when it feels different....

...how are you feeling?...how are you sleeping?....how's your skin?....how's your digestion?...how's your memory?...how's your energy?.....most of these things are driven by lifestyle choices, hormones(!), diet and exercise, therefore if any of them are 'out' then we can do something about it! Yay! And you SHOULD do something about it...don’t just 'get by', because there is so much you can do to feel better.

However, we need to be in tune with all of that to notice if and when it CHANGES. And changes of course will happen, but being aware of continual change that doesn't seem 'right' needs to be addressed.

And I am not just talking about us looking out for serious diseases such as Cancer, because the majority of the time it is going to be something else...but that doesn't mean that you need to live with feeling miserable if something is getting you down. Get yourself checked out and see someone who can help you. Physio's, osteopaths, nutrionists, therapists, Pilates! There are lots of people out there ready to help you.

Of course, our families will come first in everything we do, BUT if we don't look out for ourselves then how can we ever be the best version of ourselves for them?

You know the saying “you have to learn to love yourself before you love others” I feel this is the same for looking after your health…. Looking after number one HAS to be a key priority.

Be in tune with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be #bodyaware.

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. If you'd like to donate to either of these charities they are doing great things to help women like my mum and to hopefully find testing and a cure one day...

Ovarian Cancer Action

Target Ovarian Cancer