Why Body Gratitude Changes How You See Yourself
When we think about body image, most of us are taught to focus on appearance — weight, shape, or size. But research shows that shifting toward body gratitude — appreciating what your body does rather than how it looks — can change the way you see yourself.
From Appearance to Function
Walters & Heffernon (2020) found that participants in a resistance training study developed greater appreciation and acceptance of their bodies. Instead of fixating on weight or size, they began to value their strength and physical capability. This shift highlights the power of focusing on body functionality — the many ways our bodies move, adapt, and support us in everyday life.
Examples of body functionality include:
Carrying groceries up the stairs
Hugging a loved one
Dancing to your favorite song
Healing from illness or injury
Recognizing these actions builds respect for your body beyond appearance.
Embodiment: Living In Your Body, Not Against It
The developmental theory of embodiment emphasizes fostering positive ways of inhabiting the body. This includes:
Practicing self-compassion and positive self-talk
Validating your body’s needs and signals
Holding a critical stance toward harmful cultural ideals (like the thin-ideal)
Building agency through joyful, freeing physical activities
When people feel connected to their bodies through pleasurable movement and critical awareness, they are more likely to experience positive embodiment.
Protective Factors for Body Gratitude
Research identifies protective factors across three domains (Piran, 2019):
Physical freedom: Encouragement and access to joyful movement like yoga, walking, or dance.
Mental freedom: Developing critical perspectives toward stereotypes and unrealistic ideals.
Social power: Recognizing that thinness often operates as social capital and challenging this dynamic with kindness and confidence.
These factors help prevent body dissatisfaction and promote resilience.
Why It Matters
Higher exercise frequency is linked to greater positive body image, but only when motivation is functional and self-affirming, not appearance-driven (Souza et al., 2020). Gratitude helps protect against the trap of exercising for aesthetics alone.
When you actively notice, respect, and give thanks for what your body allows you to do — whether it’s lifting weights, breathing deeply, or laughing with friends — your relationship with yourself can shift from judgment to appreciation.
Reflection Prompts for Practicing Body Gratitude
Try these journal prompts to bring body gratitude into your daily life:
Checklist of Functionality: What three things did my body help me do today that had nothing to do with appearance?
Movement Appreciation: How did I feel during a movement or activity I did today (walking, stretching, lifting, etc.)?
Reframing: When I catch myself focusing on appearance, what’s one way I can redirect that thought toward gratitude for function?
Compassion Cue: What would it look like to speak to my body the way I’d speak to a close friend?
Piran, N. (2019). The experience of embodiment construct: Reflecting the quality of embodied lives. In T. L. Tylka & N. Piran (Eds.), Handbook of positive body image and embodiment: Constructs, protective factors, and interventions (pp. 11–21). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190841874.003.0002
Souza, C., Krüger, R. L., Schmit, E. F. D., Neto, E. S. W., Reischak-Oliveira, Á., De Sá, C. K. C., & Loss, J. F. (2020). Cardiorespiratory adaptation to pilates training. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 92(3), 453–459. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2020.1749222 In-text citation: (Souza et al., 2020)
Walters, R., & Hefferon, K. (2020). ‘Strength becomes her’—Resistance training as a route to positive body image in women. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 12(3), 446–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1634127
