Sophie Aris is a very successful fitness influencer. In a recent post, she talked about her journey with body image after having her first child. Aris captioned the post, “I wasn’t prepared for how I’d feel postpartum. It was the physical pain after surgery, (I had an emergency c section) the scar, the exhaustion, the mastitis, the wild hormones, the bump still there weeks after Lyla was born… When you’re in it, it’s easy to believe that you’ll always feel uncomfortable in your own skin. That it’s your new normal. In fact this was the only picture I took of my body because I didn’t want to look myself. That makes me feel quite sad thinking back. But it’s the truth and I know (because you’ve told me) that many of you will relate. As a first time mum you have no idea whether your new body will always feel alien. But time is truly a healer and now 15 months postpartum 👆🏼 something I know if there ever is a next time…You won’t always feel like you’ve just had a baby.”

Aris talked about no longer obsessing over her wellness routine in the caption of this Instagram post. “Somewhere between then and now 👇🏼~ Intermittent fasting turned into breakfast with my toddler ~ Ignoring health issues turned into investigating symptoms and being in tune with my body ~ 5am intense gym workouts turned into 30 minutes of low intensity at home ~ Irregular/non existent periods turned into working with my cycle & regular periods ~ Tracking everything I ate turned into eating to feel good and never counting calories ~ Hair extensions turned into improving my natural hair health ~ Fast paced city life turned into slower paced life in the suburbs ~ Constantly seeking validation turned into validating myself.”

Aris is all about accepting herself. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram post. “We think that continually striving to lose ‘just a few more lbs’ will improve how we feel, and maybe in a temporary way it does. But if we don’t resolve the route cause of the actual issue, we will always go back to a similar state of wanting to change more and more. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but now at 37, I’d really have loved my 20 something year old self to know ~ the life she actually wanted would exist on the other side of obsessing over how her body looked.”

Aris shared this video on Instagram of herself walking with her baby. Walking has a lot of benefits. Harvard Health states, “Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. Among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.”

Aris revealed in the caption of this Instagram post that she decided to take a social media break and that it helped a lot. “I deleted Instagram for 6 days…And you know what… it’s been just what the doctor ordered. Recently I found myself in a creative burnout slump. I tried to resist it and push through, but begun to manifest itself in: 👉🏼a lot of overthinking 👉🏼 procrastination 👉🏼 aimless scrolling 👉🏼 being reactive 👉🏼 feeling ‘busy’ but… 👉🏼 not doing anything significant to move me forward. We spend so much time consuming other people’s stuff everyday, no wonder we feel a bit frazzled! I hear it from online coaches I help in Clear & Confident all the time- feeling anxious to take a step back whilst they rest, reassess and reflect. But I tell you something, it’s in those less visible and quiet moments that we make the biggest breakthroughs & transformations.”

Aris has a dog, whom she features on her Instagram page, including in the last link. Having a dog can mean health benefits. Harvard Health states, “Ongoing research is showing that the health benefits of owning a dog are undeniable. Dog owners have lower blood pressure and healthier cholesterol levels, and a lower risk of heart disease, than non-owners. There are also many psychological benefits to having a pooch around. Dog owners are less prone to bouts of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Simply petting your dog can make you feel less stressed. One of the greatest benefits of owning a dog is that it encourages you to practice mindfulness — being in the present moment and fully appreciating life. Mindfulness can help you relieve stress and also improves your overall health.”