"I have had an on-and-off relationship with exercise my whole life. Growing up, I donāt remember anyone talking to me about exercise (thankfully), but I do remember being an active kid. I was constantly riding my bike, tossing around the basketball, doing cartwheels in the backyard, or rollerblading. While Iām sure I watched TV as a kid, I have more vivid memories of being on-the-go.
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As Iāve gotten older, some of those activities have fallen away. Iāve struggled with my relationship with my body and even more so with my relationship with food and exercise. I never really thought about the weight of my body until I was in high school. I remember being dressed up for the winter formal dance when one of the ācoolā boys came up to me and said I looked pregnant in my dress. Iāve never forgotten that moment because it was one of the first times I paid attention to how my body looked.
Going into college, I brought those body image issues with me. A new friend that worked for the college newspaper asked me if Iād be interested in trying out for their new column called “The Biggest Loser,”based on the well-known weight loss TV show. Thinking it was finally my chance to lose the weight Iād so badly wanted to lose for years, I agreed. It took me three weeks until I quit because my chest burned during the runs and I was embarrassed because I still wasnāt losing any weight.
Itās taken me a while to unlearn the thoughts and rules Iāve had around exercise and what moving my body ultimately means to me. For so long, I saw exercise as a source of punishment for the food I was eating. I needed to āwork offā the calories. I thought if I wasnāt drenched in sweat and sore the next day, I didnāt work hard enough. I believed I wasnāt supposed to have fun and enjoy my workoutsāexercise was just a means to an end.
Source: @she_plusfive
That was then, but now my thoughts about fitness, exercise, and movement have shifted. Now that Iām working from home and not walking to-and-from meetings, to coworkers’ desks, or going to grab another cup of coffee, I am more grateful for movement in its absence. And the most important change in my life thatās made me interested in exercising more again is my 18-month-old toddler.Ā
For so long, I saw exercise as a source of punishment for the food I was eating. I needed to ‘work off’ the calories. I thought if I wasnāt drenched in sweat and sore the next day, I didnāt work hard enough.
I have my qualms about the fitness and wellness industry, but that’s for another story. What I do hope to share is how I’m reframing my mindset about exercise and movement. Outside of weight loss, here are a few reasons Iām including movement into my life more.
1. More energy
Raise your hand if you find yourself sluggish throughout the day going for your third and fourth cup of coffee just to get through. Been there, done that. In those moments, the absolute last thing I want to do is extraneous work like a workout, but it actually can help!
I know this sounds crazy, but on the days that I move my body, I tend to have more energy throughout the day. Sure, I’m winded after the first 15 minutes of a dance aerobics session or kettlebell workout, but by the time Iām done showering, my energy is high. Having enough energy to get me through the day is important because, as Iāve already mentioned, I have a toddler who is full of energy from the time he wakes up until bedtime.
Source: @meg.boggs
2. Helps with hydration
When I was working in an office my water consumption was always top-notch. Refilling my water bottle always meant an opportunity to get moving and break up long work sessions. Now working from home, I donāt tend to drink nearly as much water. My opportunities to run and grab more in between back-t0-back Zoom meetings are sometimes small.Ā
On the days I make time to move my body, I notice that I can get in close to 40 ounces of water before my day even begins (I prefer morning workouts). Itās good to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water a day, but it can be hard to get there if you’re not consciously thinking about it.
In wanting to know more about the effects of the lack of proper hydration, I found an article from The New York Times that said āinadequate hydration can cause fatigue, poor appetite, heat intolerance, dizziness, constipation, kidney stones and a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Brain effects include mood shifts, muddled thinking, inattentiveness, and poor memory.ā In summary, hydration is important.
3. Better sleep
When I include movement into my weekly routines, I find that I have better sleep habits too. Anytime I move my body, it needs time to reset and recover. My body will tell me when it needs some rest.
If Iām chronically tired all the time, my workout is the first thing to go out the window. Iāll hit that snooze button and sleep right through it. So, planning my workouts starts the night before by getting to bed earlier so I can wake up on time.
4. Confidence booster
You know that feeling after youāve done a kick-ass workout and you have a sort of fitness high going on? It’s confidence beaming from within, and I love that feeling. I know that there are a lot of conversations around movement that focus so much on the external appearance of the body, but confidence grows internally. If I feel terrible mentally, physically, or emotionally, it shows on the outside too.
Moving my body doesnāt come easy to me. I often have to force myself to get going, and Iām constantly coming up with excuses to skip it. But the powerful, strong, āI can do anythingā feeling once Iāve finished a glute burning barre workout or a Zumba routine is addictive. Nothing feels better to me than feeling confident inside and out. I’m not saying moving your body is the only way to achieve it, but it helps me.Ā
Source: @noellerboyer
Remember movement can look however you want it to look. There is no manual that says a workout has to include running, lifting weight, or doing yoga. Go for a bike ride, take a walk with your family, try rollerblading, swim in the lake, pull out weeds, mow the grass, chase your kid(s) around, have sex (seriously!), or wash the car. Movement can be whatever feels good for you at the moment. Except for burpeesāI wouldnāt wish burpee movement on my worst enemy.
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