When people come to us with questions about their health and fitness, you’ll hear us say “depending on your genetics,” a lot. So today we are gonna talk about what that entails, how you honor your body by listening to it and being intune with it, and learning how to be comfortable in your own skin.

WHAT EXACTLY DO MY GENETICS CONTROL?

First of all, let’s explain genetics. By definition: genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms. It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms’ evolution.

1. We need to know this because we are going to talk about inherited traits today, and whether you like it or not, you can’t change your genes. 
   • Don’t believe us? A 2021 study has found that genes can explain up to 72% of the difference in outcome between people after a specific fitness exercise. 
     • The research involved data from 3,012 adults and has identified a number of specific genes which influence the outcomes of different physical activities.
2. We’ve attached the full study article in the show notes at meathead test kitchen dot com, but here’s the TL;DR. 
   • Muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, and anaerobic power are all key factors in shaping an individual’s fitness, wellbeing, and quality of life, and all participants showed improvements following their exercise training, but to varying degrees, even when performing exactly the same exercise training.
   • By combining data from 24 separate studies, the researchers discovered that genetic differences are responsible for 72% of the variation in outcomes for people following identical exercises designed to improve muscle strength.
   • Meanwhile, genetic variations caused 44% of the differences seen following cardiovascular fitness exercises, measured through V?O2max testing, and 10% of the differences in outcomes following exercises to improve anaerobic power, which is key for movement and agility. 
     • The remaining variations are influenced by other factors such as diet and nutrition, recovery, and injuries.
3. This is pretty fuckin’ cool because the researchers suggest that gene testing could allow exercises to be tailored so they are more effective for each individual, rather than generic exercise for all.
   • “Because everyone’s genetic make-up is different, our bodies respond slightly differently to the same exercises. Therefore, it should be possible to improve the effectiveness of an exercise regimen by identifying someone’s genotype and then tailoring a specific training program just for them.”

HONOR YOUR BODY BY LISTENING TO IT 

Now this doesn’t just pertain to knowing your limits in the gym. There’s much more to it than that. 

1. Obviously respecting your limits is good and we encourage that… friends don’t let friends ego lift. 
2. We are talking more about what body shape you are and  how your body behaves when it comes to fat loss/storage. 
   • You come from a family with giant tatas? Guess what, odds are, your body will store that fat in your boobs just like the rest of your family. 
   • People get hung up on body type a lot too, and it’s too bad because even though it sounds fucking cheesy, different body types are beautiful just as they are. 
     • Example: lots of women want a giant set of glutes. And you can do that through being blessed by genetics or working very hard to build them in the gym… and even then, your body just may never have a big ass on it. That’s okay! Just because your ass doesn’t knock stuff off shelves, doesn’t mean it isn’t a nice ass.
3. Cool, so how do you actually like, honor your body? We found a really cool list from a Medium article, if you wanna read the whole thing, show notes. 
   • Thank it often for being a reliable home & vehicle for your existence. In the words of Jim Rohn, “take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
   • Fuel it mindfully with cleansing food and water that will help it thrive. Hydrating and nourishing the body with fruits and vegetables earlier in the day primes your system for easy digestion, improved mood, and fat-burning potential.
   • Take it for a walk and/or workout daily to keep it running. The goal is to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity in a day.
   • Treat it and release it from stress and tension with routine body work. This can be any number of things — stretching, foam rolling, massage, etc. 
   • Balance it by reducing toxic load. Whatever is holding you back from thriving physically, mentally and/or emotionally (i.e. relationships, home/work environment, the media, certain foods), reduce it!
   • Strengthen it daily with positive self-talk and challenging mind &body activities. The most important conversation you have is the daily conversation with yourself. Be your own hype man! Plant positive seeds for positive growth.

LEARN TO BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN SUIT 

1. Let’s start by discuss what it means to be comfortable in your own skin. Everyone has flaws and insecurities, but being able to be mindful of the fact that those things don’t define who you are is one of the number one things to shift your focus to.
   • Accepting yourself as you are, right now, despite any perceived flaws or insecurities, and no matter what anyone else says about you, you know and are confident in the fact that other people’s opinions are not a credible source of validation.
   • Being comfortable in your own skin is being secure in yourself even when your thoughts attempt to bring down your self esteem.
   • Stop focusing on your weaknesses. Sometimes that seems impossible, but you can use your strengths to you advantage which helps encourage a more confident version of yourself.
   • You don’t have to validate every thought that goes through your head. Learn to question and counter those negative thoughts that we all have. This is what we mean when we mention flipping the script. When that “I’m not good enough” thought pops in your head, counter it with “I’ve always been more than enough”
2. Go to therapy if you feel you need it to work on your personal struggles. This is sometimes easier said than done, but if you’re really struggling, therapy can offer some alternative ways to get yourself out of that headspace and give you tools to carry with you into the future to combat some of those struggles.
   • Remind yourself that no one defines who you are, except you. I had this conversation over the weekend when a friend of mine got a pretty shitty comment from someone close to them. Understand that hateful or hurtful comments often come from people that have their own set of struggles. There are some people out there that just can’t stand to see people living their best life, or being comfortable and happy in their own skin. Hell, even some of us have BEEN that person. Their thoughts and opinions don’t define who you are. Your actions do.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211014142032.htm

https://medium.com/fit-nu/6-ways-to-honor-your-body-ae923e69952c