Exercise as a “feel-good” practice
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with this mindset: Asking my body what it needs today and then doing some type of exercise in line with that.
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I was a sedentary child. I liked to read, write, make artwork and daydream. I lived on a farm, and we had a big garden and we played outside a lot and rode our bikes down our dusty gravel road, so I got some fresh air and exercise that way, plus the occasional water balloon fight with our neighbors (so fun!). My sisters and I also liked to play in our playhouse (a converted shed) and build childlike structures in the trees with branches. But I wasn’t someone you would call sporty or athletic. Someone got me a “Get In Shape Girl” set with an audio cassette and “dumbells” (they weighed probably 6 ounces) and I half-heartedly did that on occasion. In high school, I started jogging and doing workout videos to be fit. I didn’t especially enjoy it, but I wanted to get in better shape, so I gritted my teeth and did it.
Sound familiar? Have you ever exercised because you know it’s good for you, like how you might eat a bite of some green vegetable you don’t especially like?
There’s value to that, don’t get me wrong. Many times, we don’t feel like exercising, but we know it’s a healthy thing to do, right? So we do it. We get our cardio in, we lift weights, whatever the case may be. It’s something we check off a list. And sometimes that’s what we need to do for ourselves.
In college, my roommate and I joined a gym, and we dutifully rode the stationary bike and used the elliptical, and I found the stress relief benefits were amazing. Then I discovered exercise classes, and I fell in love. Working out became fun. I was excited to try the next kickboxing class, or step aerobics workout, or Zumba session. I simultaneously developed a misconception that if I didn’t leave the class drenched in sweat, it wasn’t worth it — that I hadn't gotten a good workout if it didn’t wring me out completely.
A lot of time has passed since then. I now work in a physical therapy clinic, and I see the amazing power of exercise as a means of healing. “Movement is medicine.” Truly, it can be.
I’ve also been on a journey of self-discovery as I learn about what I want to get from exercise. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with this mindset: Asking my body what it needs today and then doing some type of exercise in line with that. I’ve been blessed to have been exposed to many types of exercise over the years, so now I feel like I have this amazing buffet of movement to choose from. If the weather is beautiful, my husband and I go for a walk. If I feel stiff and sore, I might choose a fun cardio-dance style workout to loosen up and get the blood flowing, or I might do a pilates workout to get my core firing and decrease my back muscle tension. Some days I just feel some kind of way, and I realize I need an intense cardio session with loud music to burn off stress, or some strength training so I feel strong and confident. Other days, I move bags of soil and mulch around the yard 10 times and do some raking, and I call it good. My goal is to be regularly challenging my body in an intuitive way that celebrates movement. One of my favorite YouTube workout channels is Bodyfit By Amy, whose mottos include: “Be where you are today” and “You showed up today; you’re successful.” These both tap into mindsets I find valuable, like being consistent and celebrating that commitment to wellness, as well as respecting what my body is feeling and what it’s able to do on a given day, because that can vary.
I also have been thinking about play and how kids just abandon themselves entirely to whatever movement they are doing, and they are laughing and breathing hard and having so much fun. I want exercise to feel like that. Maybe I can’t move as unselfconsciously as children do, but I want to enjoy myself at least half as much. I want to think of movement as something I get to do, rather than something I have to do. I’m still working on this, and it feels like a worthwhile journey to continue.
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