I’ve been watching the Olympic trials and I must admit that I’m impressed by all of the athletes’ bodies.

ESPN Magazine Body Issue

Their bodies aren’t beautiful by traditional standards necessarily.

But how can you say a body that can do such amazing athletic feats isn’t beautiful?

You can’t.

You can’t say that these bodies aren’t beautiful. All of these athletes are at the top of their sports because of their bodies. All of these athletes are healthy and can do what they LOVE because of their bodies.

A body that can accomplish things, to me, is way more beautiful than a body that is weak and frail and starved just to fit conventional wisdom’s standards!

Take Michael Phelps for example. I’m not saying he isn’t attractive but he definitely is no fitness model. BUT his body is perfectly designed to make him POSITIVELY AMAZING at swimming.

How can you say his body isn’t beautiful!?! He was at the top of his sport!

In my opinion, physical beauty isn’t defined by what percentage of body fat you have – it is defined by all of the wonderful things that your body can do!

And I’m not saying we can’t workout to “look good.”

But the thing that KEEPS us working out and eating well day in and day out, isn’t six-pack abs.

It is the knowledge that the workouts and healthy food we eat keep our bodies healthy enough to do all of the things we love!

So what really is beauty? Is it looking like the models in the magazine or having a body that allows you to do the activities you love even if your lats are too big or you don’t have six-pack abs?