Is it Time for a Divorce? Tips for a Healthier Relationship to Movement.

Yes–you read that right! It’s time to get a divorce…from exercise.

When I say divorce, I mean a break from traditional and often damaging thoughts around exercise, as well as from trendy new programs and gadgets.

A divorce from counting calories burned, minutes in target heart rate, reps and sets, and daily exhaustion.

As you complete this divorce, you can decide to remove the word exercise from your vocabulary completely. Instead, you’ll replace it with a word with less force, less rules—a word with more functionality and ease.

That word is…

MOVEMENT!

It’s true–replacing “exercise” with “movement” is one of the first steps to building a healthy relationship to moving your body.

It becomes a choice and a declaration to just move—to move because the body likes it, and to move because it feels good, period, end of statement.

We know from our experience with hundreds of women that when they find a way to move that they enjoy and that doesn’t feel like a chore, the activity becomes a way of life, a part of their day and sustainable for a lifetime.

I use the analogy that all our movement goes into a bank account that just continues to build.

So, think of three minutes of movement as another deposit into your own personal health bank account.

And isn’t that what really makes the biggest impact and difference? That we all just keep moving.

Consider this…One of my clients started to get up from her desk three times a day, to take a five minute walk around her building.

After a month, she noticed a significant increase in her energy, strength, stamina and mood.

This one action completely shifted her mindset around her body, and she started to establish a healthy relationship with exercise.

By the way, part of this process might also include having more positive conversations with yourself. You can read more about that here. 

Don’t get me wrong, I understand, support, and want to share the numerous benefits that moving our bodies brings us.

The point here is to shift the mindset from thinking about exercise and moving as a “have to,” “need to,” or “should do,” to a “WANT to do,” “can’t wait to” and “love to!”

To help you shift your mindset, I’ve prepared a “divorce agreement” for you.

A “Divorce from Exercise” Agreement

Tell yourself that you’ll agree to release old thoughts of:

•       Burning calories.
•       No pain, no gain mentality.
•       More is better.
•       Spot reducing.
•       Punishment for eating.
•       “Feeling the burn” exercises.
•       Pushing harder, digging deeper, sweating more.

And, instead, you’ll agree to welcome new thoughts and feelings like:

•       Feeling good in your body.
•       Getting stronger.
•       Gaining more energy.
•       Moving better.
•       Having fun.
•       Enjoying new experiences.

Remember: this is also a divorce from the “30 minutes minimum” and the “target heart rate zone” into the understanding that all movement matters. (Yes, that means only one or two minutes.)  And even better? That movement can be FUN!

This is a divorce from damaging words, programs, and voices that are heard from parents, doctors, advertising and social media posts.

All the “shoulds,” “need-to’s,” and “have-to’s” that plague this society.

It’s time to make a decision to divorce your current thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors around exercise and to begin a new, exciting, fun, and healthy relationship with joyful movement and play.

And while you’re divorcing exercise, ask yourself if it’s also time to fire your inner “Judge Foody”. Don’t miss this post where we talk about dealing with that voice in your head that shames, scolds, and criticizes your food choices.

What’s your favorite way to move?

At Shaping Perspectives, we think outside the box when it comes to movement. Ask yourself how can you add a little more movement into your day.

Think for a moment, what is it that you like to do? Walk in the park or on the beach?  Play a game of Pickleball or FootGolf? Kayak or Ski? Swim or Hike?

Maybe an extra walk here and there, throwing on some music and dancing in your living room, a morning stretch to wake up your body, a fun coffee date with a friend that includes an activity?

It’s up to you—you have the power in this new, healthy relationship with “exercise” and movement!

If divorcing exercise and building a healthy relationship with exercise and movement sounds good to you, reach out to us! We’ll guide you to think outside the box and help you realize there are plenty of different ways to move your body, some of which you may never have thought of!

Our clients emerge from their work with us with a completely different outlook on what it means to move their bodies:

1. We make moving your body about joy, fun, and sustainability.
2. We make moving your body about function, mobility, strength, and confidence.
3. We create ways to move that help you to live the life you want to live.

Click here to sign up for a free Body Joyful Breakthrough Session and file for a divorce today.

If you enjoyed this article, you won’t want to miss these either:

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