It’s a well-known fact that exercise is good for us. However, making sure that you enjoy the exercise you do is just as important! Exercise doesn’t have to be a punishing workout that you force yourself to do every once in a while, then end up ‘giving up.’ With intuitive eating, exercise is literally any form of movement. This article explores joyful movement and how reframing your mindset with exercise, might just help you feel better in the long run.
Exercise has many health benefits:
- Lowered stress through improving the effectiveness of insulin and mood (counteracting increased production of cortisol in the body)
- Improved sleep patterns
- Increased bone density
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced risk for certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis
- Increased muscular strength
- Increased metabolism
- Improved appetite regulation
Just to name a few…
I know I feel the benefits…
I remember one morning in particular, which was scheduled in my diary as time for admin. I was sat at my laptop aimlessly flicking between tasks but not actually doing them. Half an hour passed with zero productivity. It was after the 2nd unproductive half hour that I decided I needed to change my energy. Despite the fact I had so much to do (and ideally wanted to crack on) my brain wasn’t letting me. So, I shut the laptop, pulled on my running gear, and went puffing down the nearest countryside lane in the fresh air. I returned to my desk a transformed woman. I felt like I’d pressed a reset button. All of a sudden, my brain was switched on and happy to get through my task list, much quicker than I had before. This was most certainly the effect of exercise.
The point I’m trying to make is that you may think you don’t have half an hour free to leave your desk for some movement. But that half hour has the potential to get you working more productively than you were before. So, you could find that taking a break gets more work done.
But why don’t we move more?
The problem is, exercise has become that annoying ‘thing’ that we know we should do because its good for our health but I’m not good at it or I don’t have time yada yada yada. Does this sound like you? What has made you feel like this? Diet Culture.
The hijacker of exercise
Diet culture has hijacked movement for far too long. All the of the wrong messages have been sent out about exercise. For example, do you believe, or have you ever believed, any of these myths about exercise?
- “Only certain types of exercise count” e.g. a run (not a walk)
- “Exercise is for the purpose of losing weight”
- “If you don’t sweat, it doesn’t ‘count”
- “Exercise is not for you because of your particular body shape”
Is there any truth to any of these? No! Let’s unpick some of these myths:
“Only certain types of exercise count”
There’s a reason that the term ‘joyful movement’ is used when it comes to exercise in intuitive eating. That is because all movement counts. Whether it’s a walk around the block, a quick stretch on your yoga mat or a dance class. It could be being on your feet all day as part of a physically active job or learning how to box or going for a dip in the sea (lucky you, living on the coast!).
Our bodies were not meant to be sedentary, and I know for myself how rubbish my body can feel if I haven’t moved it for a period of time. So how can you make sure that you’re moving enough for your body? This is where the joyful part comes in. Choose something fun, that you enjoy! Is there something you’ve always wanted to try out but been too nervous? Or perhaps you love being part of a social group and fancy joining a team sport such as hockey or football? It’s also a great way to socialise and make friends. If you enjoy your movement, you’re much more likely to keep it as part of your regular routine and not view it as a chore.
“Exercise is for the purpose of losing weight”
Have you ever been to a gym without them mentioning the benefits of exercise and coupling it with weight loss? Having been an avid gym goer in the past, I had a hard think about this, and I can’t think of any gyms I’ve been to without this happening. It’s a complete myth that you need to lose weight to be healthy. But it’s not a myth that physically moving your body has great health benefits. You just don’t need to be in a state of weight loss to get the associated health benefits. In fact, feeling pressure to lose weight could end up having the opposite effect on someone and put them off exercising altogether, which is potentially damaging.
Set your boundaries
Now I’m not saying you should avoid the gym if you actually enjoy going. I loved the last gym I was a member of. I liked their set up and it had a community feel, with a friendly, inclusive vibe. I could workout in a group with others, participating in fun activities and I made friends. However, I made sure that I joined that gym with my eyes open. You had to do a pre-gym assessment when you signed up. I made it clear to the trainer that I was not interested in weight talk, that I was joining purely for enjoyment and for the health benefits of building strength etc. I asked not to be weighed, and I asked for it to be put in my notes that I never get asked to be weighed along the line. Instead of a weight loss goal which would make me obsess about the numbers and forget to enjoy the exercise, I made myself a realistic, non-appearance related goal of turning up every week and having fun. The trainer was great, there was no awkwardness, my requests were taken on board and I felt good about going there.
“Exercise is not for you because of your particular body shape”
Movement is for everybody, regardless of body shape/size. We may have exceptions due to personal reasons e.g. I have back problems and know that I can’t currently join a ballet class because my movement is limited, and it would be too painful for me. That’s a shame, but there are other types of movement out there I can enjoy. All that matters is moving in a way which you find enjoyable and makes you feel good on the inside.
Weight stigma
Unfortunately, weight stigma is rife within our culture and sadly, this is a common reason why some avoid exercise. Those in bigger bodies find it more difficult to have the confidence to take part in for example, group exercise classes, due to a past bad experience or being made to feel ashamed for their size. I do acknowledge my thin privilege in this conversation, as I’ve not had to face this kind of stigma myself in exercise settings. However, the tide is starting to turn and if you look for it, there are weight inclusive trainers out there in the fitness industry (@tallyrye as a great example).
Let’s claim our joyful movement back!
Yes – that’s right diet culture; we are taking our joyful movement back! Joyful movement is our precious ‘me time,’ it’s part of our self-care routine and it makes us feel good! It doesn’t matter that we only had time to squeeze in 10 minutes on our lunch break, or didn’t break out in a hard sweat. All movement counts!
If you’re struggling with the idea of joyful movement, it could help to start by asking yourself these questions:
- If I could do any form of movement, what would it be?
- What type of movement makes me happy?
- How could I fit more movement into my day-to-day routine?
- What does my body need today
Other ways to add random movement to your day:
- Put on a good song and have a dance around the room
- Go for a walk around the block at lunch time
- Set yourself a timer every hour to stand up and do a couple of stretches
- Take the stairs instead of the lift
- Park a little further away from work to give yourself an extra walk
And remember, we all need a good rest day every now and then – there’s no shame in accepting that your body needs a break!
Joyful movement is the 9th principle of intuitive eating. If you would like to learn more about the process of intuitive eating and healing your relationship with food, book your free 20 minute discovery call with Hattie now! If you enjoyed reading this article, you can head to the blog for more!
