It’s a widely known fact that exercise is great for health! Unfortunately, many people have an unhealthy relationship with exercise these days. Exercise is often used in conjunction with dieting and the idea of being sedentary is highly frowned upon. The rules that diet culture creates around exercise can leave us feeling confused and disconnected from our bodies.
This article aims to highlight the difference between joyful and disordered movement as well as provide you with practical tips to jumpstart your joyful movement journey.
Terminology matters
What emotions and thoughts come up when you think of words like “physical activity,” “exercise,” or “sedentary.” Contrast that with the emotions and thoughts that come up with words like “movement,” “rest day,” or “non-movement day.”
The former list may elicit feelings of guilt, regret, or shame while the latter may feel like a gentler or less-activating approach when talking about exercise. If words matter to you, practice rejecting language that reminds you of diet culture’s expectations for how you are “supposed to” move your body.
Disordered Movement
Diet Culture and Exercise
Exercise often goes hand in hand with dieting and can negatively impact someone’s relationship to movement. Diet culture promises that exercise will lead to weight loss, toned muscles, visible abs, or a flat stomach. It even promises you’ll be more attractive, loveable, and successful in life.
For many, exercise only “counts” if certain circumstances are achieved such as:
- You do certain types of movement (for example, only cardio).
- Movement was “X” minutes long.
- You broke a sweat.
- You got your heart rate up to a certain number.
- You tracked it in an app.
- You got “enough” steps.
- You feel sore after.
These are essentially rules that distract from your ability to listen to your body for what type of movements you enjoy doing and how much is actually desired by your body.
What is Disordered Exercise?
A disordered relationship with exercise can take many forms. It often involves unrealistic amounts of exercise that can lead to injuries, severe soreness, and a poor immune system. The most common examples of disordered exercise are listed below.
Exercising to change your weight or aesthetic
While this might be achievable in the short term, for many, maintaining the desired aesthetic is not sustainable. Coupled with a low calorie diet or one that cuts out food groups such as carbohydrates, this can lead to poor energy levels and decreases in performance or endurance.
Compensatory Exercise
Feeling you must earn food with exercise. You may feel you have to restrict how much or the types of food you can eat based on your activity level that day. This can impact quality of life, significantly detract from your daily schedule and needs, as well create a relationship with movement that can feel a lot like punishment.
Compulsive Exercise
Feeling an intense desire to exercise often at a high frequency such as every day or multiple times per day. You may feel guilty for taking a day off or ending a work out early. You may exercise despite being sick or injured. You may reject spending time with others in favor of a workout.
What is intuitive movement?
Intuitive movement is comprised of 2 main ideas:
- Moving your body in a way that feels natural, joyful, and comfortable.
- Being in touch with what your body needs as far as movement or rest and honoring that need.
When we do these two things, movement can become incredibly enjoyable and beneficial!
Health Benefits of Movement
The associated health benefits of movement are plentiful no matter what type you choose!
- Improved balance and flexibility
- Stress relief and improved mood
- Improved cardiovascular and circulatory health (e.g. increased heart and lung strength, reduced risk of silent stroke, decreased blood pressure, better blood sugar control, improved cholesterol)
- Osteoporosis prevention and preservation of bone mineral density
- Prevention for some types of cancers (including breast, prostate, colon, endometrium, and possibly pancreatic cancer)
- Improved learning and memory
- Prevents cognitive decline in aging
- Improved endurance and strength
- Improved muscle mass
Exploring Joyful Movement
If you are ready to rediscover joyful movement, there are a few points to consider:
1.) We all start at different places. Avoid comparisons between yourself and others.
2.) If it has been a while since you last regularly moved your body, start slow to avoid injury. Choose a location where you feel safe and wear clothing/shoes that are comfortable and breathable.
3.) Focus on how it feels by asking yourself these questions:
- How does movement feel in your body?
- Do some exercises feel better than others? Does any movement feel bad or painful to your body?
- How can you make movement fun? Do you enjoy exercising with a partner, solo, or when listening to music or a podcast?
- How does exercise feel when you fuel properly?
- When you exercise, are you able to handle stress better?
- When you exercise, do you have more energy? Do you feel more alert?
- When you exercise, does your mood improve? Do you have an improved outlook?
- When you exercise, do you feel empowered or more determined? Do you have more self-confidence?
- When you exercise, do you sleep more soundly or wake up more refreshed?
4.) Remember to rest! Like dieting, movement can feel like an all-or-nothing activity. There is no need to feel guilty about taking rest days, stopping early, or moving slower. Sometimes choosing not to exercise is taking care of yourself. Ask yourself is today a movement or rest day? There are many reasons to have a rest day:
- You got too little sleep.
- The weather is poor or unsafe for your given activity.
- You are sick or injured.
- You are feeling worn out.
- You are having a challenging mental health day.
- You don’t feel like it.
All are valid.
Final Thoughts
Movement can be great and enjoyable when you are attuned to your body’s needs! Are you at a place where you can start letting go of diet culture’s rules for movement? Instead of focusing on external beliefs and goals, focus on how movement feels in your body and what you want your body to be able to accomplish in life.
If you would like support in healing your relationship with exercise, consider scheduling an appointment with one of our trained nutrition providers here at Rooted Path Nutrition.