It’s time to reframe exercise as movement
I’ve started to replace the word “exercise” with “movement” as much as possible with my clients now. In the past, my intake forms would ask clients what they did for exercise, and I often saw responses like, “If I have time, I try to go to a bootcamp class.” Or, “I need to renew my gym membership, but I used to do the elliptical and weights.” When it came up in conversation, they’d often visibly cringe at the thought of “having to go to the gym” or go for a run. I realized that many people were equating exercise with logging hour-long classes at the gym or hitting a certain calorie target or mileage on the (dreaded) elliptical machine. When I ask about movement, I learned people loved gardening, had a neighborhood walking group, swam in the lake in the summer, and had multiple dogs at home who they loved to take for walks in the woods.
As humans, we are designed to move. And with advancements in technology, desk jobs, and delivery or curbside services that literally make it so you never have to set foot in a grocery store again, we’re pretty sedentary these days. But that doesn’t mean that we need to log an hour in a spin class just to negate the effects of our modern lifestyle. What we need is just to move - stretch our legs, get our blood pumping, strengthen our muscles, and our heart rate elevated. And it doesn’t require a gym membership! Even better if this movement is done outdoors to reap the benefit of some fresh air and sunlight, too! And the best part is, movement is free. Taking a walk in the woods, pulling up weeds or raking leaves, having a dance party, or chasing your kid around at the park all have major benefits on our mind and body.
You don’t need to exercise for an hour just to check a box and you most certainly do not need to do it to “erase” an indulgent meal out of guilt or shame. You don’t need to do it to change or shrink your body or burn calories or to look like an Instagram influencer. Exercise…movement…whatever you call it is meant to keep your body physically active and feel good.
I encourage you to think of a form of movement that you love - maybe it’s stand up paddleboarding. Maybe it is a spin class at the gym! For me, at 39 years old I discovered I love (LOVE!) jump roping. Never have I felt more joy moving my body, learning new tricks, and raising my heart rate. My wish for you is that you find movement that brings you joy and makes you feel energized. The physical benefits are just a bonus.
