Movement. Fitness. Exercise. Working out. Going to the gym. Even as I write out these different ways to convey moving our bodies I believe they have different connotations. Some seem more health oriented while others appear more gentle with how we discuss exercise.
We likely first learn about fitness from our families or in physical education or health class where you learn that if you do not move enough, you will compromise your health. It is presented in a way that in order to be healthy you have to move X many minutes per week. I personally hate this representation of why we need to move our bodies. Of course movement is needed and good for us, however when we place strict expectations and rules around movement it feels like another thing we are doing well or not well.
Movement should be about celebrating our bodies capabilities not punishing them, needing to “burn” all the calories. Movement should be enjoyable not a punishment!
Let’s adjust how we view the word exercise. Often people only believe it is exercise if it is intentional, to burn calories,done for an extended period of time and if our heart rate increases high enough. This is not a great definition.
Exercise, or so I prefer calling it movement, is just that, when we are moving our bodies. We are exercising or moving when we are walking around, gardening, doing household chores, running around a field, lifting things (weights, kids, groceries), doing yoga, a fitness class, etc.
The goal: is to move our bodies. Let’s make it simple. We need to move our bodies. It does not need to be for a certain amount of time, burning a certain amount of calories or raising our heart rate to a certain level.
Let’s just move. We can move in so many ways that also benefit our bodies such as walking around the grocery store, playing with young children, bending up and down to paint walls, playing outside with a dog, completing housework, taking the stairs, stretching our bodies.
Movement/ Exercise does not need to be for the sole purpose to burn calories. Because guess what? Our body is already doing that just being alive, breathing, using our brains and having our heart pump.
The most important goal is just to move. Find a way to make this happen in your life with small daily tasks such as your walk into work from your car, getting up for a few minutes during your day to move away from your desk, or completing household chores.
One important piece I want to note is I am not referring to excessive or compulsive exercise. Compulsive exercise is when someone feels they need to engage in the most possible movement throughout the entire day. Exercise feels like a “have to do” to feel and to be ok and it does not feel like someone can easily stop.
I am discussing incorporating some movements for those who are not sure about their relationship with exercise/ movement and who want to develop long standing helpful strategies with movement.
The second piece of this is to find something joyful or pleasant. If we are only moving for the sake of moving, we may not want to sustain our habits. It is best to find something we LIKE to do.
Here are some ideas:
Go for a casual stroll around your neighborhood or work environment
Take a leisurely bike ride
Engage in a hobby that requires movement from your body
Start small and go for a 5-10 minute walk
If you are able bodied, reconnect with an activity you once loved like gardening, a sport or helping a loved one with their own daily tasks
If we can find an activity that allows our body to move and we find joy in it, we are more likely to continue in our efforts.
It is also helpful to know where we are coming to this topic.
Have I been out of balance with movement, either too much or too little?
What are my feelings towards movement?
Do I feel capable of moving my body or do I struggle with feeling unable to do so?
You may be struggling with being more sedentary and not knowing where to start or you may be compulsively engaging in exercise and not knowing how to slow down.
Both are ok but it is important to assess and to see which direction you need to go.
Here are some questions to ask yourself if you are unbalanced with movement:
Do I feel compelled to engage in exercise/ movement?
Do I enjoy the things I am doing?
Can I stop exercising when I want to or do I feel I have to meet a certain benchmark?
How do I feel in my body after I engage in movement?
In order to be balanced with exercise we also have to be in touch with our bodies. Most of us are out of touch with our bodies and have ignored our bodies' cues.
Do we feel capable today to move, are we feeling hurt or sore, how does it feel to slowly move, is our heart racing, feels elevated but ok, are we physically well overall?
For movement to be positive for our body it needs to be connected to our body and for our body. Again, the goal is not to burn calories. By simply being alive, we are already doing so and the goal of burning calories is not required for it to be beneficial.
I hope you will take some time to reflect on the questions above: where you are with movement, are you unbalanced with movement and if you are connected to your body? Our bodies are vital to our overall well being, however that wellbeing does not have to be dependent on a certain amount of exercise per week. Any movement can be beneficial if done in the right headspace.
It’s time to find joy with movement again. I challenge you to find 5-10 minutes of your day to just move. For me right now, it’s a 5 minute walk over my lunch break. It gets me on my feet and out of the office and into the sunshine. It feels that it relaxes me, even in the heat and it’s a great way I am taking care of myself.
Here’s to your happy moments moving!
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