The Joy of Movement !!!

The Joy Of Movement is just what you need to finally find the motivation to get out and exercise more often by teaching you the scientific reasons why it's good for you and why your body is designed to enjoy it.

Joyful Movement means you move because it feels good, not because it makes you "look good."

Joyful movement is an approach to physical activity that emphasizes finding pleasure in the way we move our bodies. Physical activity offers a variety of physical and mental health benefits aside from weight loss such as:

• Aiding in digestive support

• Improvements in metabolism

• Lowering of insulin levels

• Enhancing muscle tone, strength, and flexibility

• Helping us build motivation

• Lowering stress levels

• Promoting cardiovascular health

By engaging in movement that you enjoy and makes you feel better, you are more likely to move your body regularly. Often times it is easy to find ourselves focusing on a number whether it is the number of reps, calories, or time spent engaging in exercise. By changing our thought process from “it doesn’t count because it wasn’t an hour” or “I didn’t burn that many calories” to focusing on how our body feels after the movement, it starts to create a sustainable behavior. This shift in mindset can make the difference between going for a walk after dinner or sitting down in front of the TV.

Instead of thinking about ways to exercise, come up with ways to move your body. Ways to do this are as simple as dancing to your favorite music while you vacuum your house or walking your dogs or with a good friend. Exercise doesn’t have to be a grueling feat, limited to the confines of a weight room that leaves you worn down for days. Instead, simply get up and move your body in ways that you enjoy. All kinds of movement are valid. Some ways to move your body include:

• Riding your bike

• Taking the stairs

• Dance lessons

• Walk your dog (or cat)

• Gardening

• Dancing while doing chores

• Short walks after meals

• Playing with your children or grandchildren

The next time you find yourself wanting to move but dreading the idea of going to the gym, stop and think about what kind of movement would actually make you feel good. Whether it’s going on a walk outside to get some fresh air or cranking up your favorite playlist and having a dance party, these movements all have the same benefits of exercise without compromising your mental sanity.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits. Only a few lifestyle choices have as large an impact on your health as physical activity.

Everyone can experience the health benefits of physical activity – age, abilities, ethnicity, shape, or size do not matter.

Joyful movement means moving your body in a way that is enjoyable for you. Some days you may want to get your heart pumping, while other days you might want to take a more leisurely approach. Other days you may decide to rest, and that's ok too! There are no rules. It's all about what is best for you in that moment.

Everyone, regardless of body size, ability level, age, race or gender, deserves the opportunity to move if they choose.

7 tips for starting a joyful movement practice

Try activities that are fun. At the very least, pick something that you don't dread doing. Exercising does not need to feel like punishment. You don't have to go for a run if you hate it just because you want to lose weight. You don't have to lift weights if you hate it just because you want to gain muscle. It also means that you should absolutely run and lift weights if it makes you feel great! One of my go-to activities is hula hooping - it's not only for kids!

Focus on improving health markers, not manipulating your body size. Movement is beneficial for so many reasons aside from changing your body. It helps lower your blood pressure, opens a new window and blood sugar levels, opens a new window. It reduces stress, opens a new window, improves digestion, opens a new window, and helps you sleep, opens a new window. You never have to "work off" food that you have eaten, no matter what our diet-obsessed culture tells you.

Do it with a buddy. My favorite aspect of movement is sharing it with my loved ones. Now that it's summer, it's easier to be outside with friends or family in a safe way. I love dancing to Baby Shark with my nieces and nephews and taking walks with friends by the Charles River.

Set realistic goals that are not attached to calories or body size. Use metrics that are attainable for you, like minutes exercised or increasing the intensity. For example, your initial goal might be to walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break, but your final goal is to get up to 30 minutes. Gradually increase the number of minutes you walk over time until you reach your goal. Listen to your body and take days off. Don't beat yourself up if it takes longer than you'd like. You are not in competition with yourself or anyone else!

Movement comes in all forms. You don't need to have dedicated set-aside time for exercising to get the benefits of movement. Do you like gardening? That's movement! Do you take your dog for walks? That's movement too. It can simply be a part of your daily life. All movement is valid. It doesn't matter how intense it is or how long you do it for.

Read real-life inspirational stories by those in the inclusive fitness world. Many people have overcome discrimination and fitness industry bias. BPL has books by fitness experts and regular folks who discovered joyful movement. Their stories can give you confidence and new ideas for activities you might like to try.

Joyful movement is a way of approaching physical activity that emphasizes pleasure. We know that physical activity offers a host of physical and mental health benefits, and by emphasizing pleasure, you’re more likely to regularly move your body.

Joyful movement also emphasizes choice. Exercise often feels compulsory - it’s done to earn food or burn off food, to punish the body for not fitting into arbitrary and unrealistic ideals. Joyful movement recognizes the right to rest, as well as the benefits of it, and your choice in whether to engage with it or not.

With joyful movement, all kinds of movement are valid. Not only do different people have different preferences when it comes to movement, but different abilities as well. To make joyful movement inclusive, all types of movement must be morally equal, even if they may have different purposes.

If you’re trying to learn how to like exercise again, it’s helpful to think of it like that broccoli. Consider ways you can introduce it in a more pleasure-focused way, and you’re much more likely to have a good experience with it. Because you’re not necessarily someone who hates movement, you’re someone who hates exercise, and that’s really understandable when you’ve only had the soggy frozen broccoli version of movement!

Tips for Rediscovering Joyful Movement:

Take a break.

Sometimes rediscovering joyful movement means taking a break from it for awhile - sometimes a long while! It’s OK to hang up your running shoes for a bit. Taking a break can bring clarity, and is especially helpful if you struggle with compulsive exercise. If exercise has become your go-to for dealing with body discomfort, taking a pause allows you to learn other ways of coping. My friend Kylie has written beautifully on her experience taking a break from exercise.

What did you like as a child?

Think about what types of movement you liked as a child. Group sports, and things like gymnastics, roller skating, dance and riding a bike may be more divorced from weight control than other kinds of movement. Or maybe not - I know a lot of people had really toxic experiences in dance and gymnastics. But in general, these more child-like and playful kinds of physical activity can be fun to incorporate.

Incorporate mindfulness

Mindfulness can be a useful tool for fostering embodiment during exercise, and getting out of your head. Tuning into physical sensations or the environment around you can turn movement into almost a meditative experience. Here’s a post I wrote with tips for how to practice mindful movement.

Gentle movement

Don’t forget gentle movement! With exercise, the focus is often on calorie burning, so movement that isn’t intense may feel like it “doesn’t count.” In reality, gentle movement offers a host of benefits to your body and mind, and most certainly counts - although you really don’t need to be counting! Here’s a post I wrote with ideas for gentle movement.

Everyday movement

You don’t have to be in a gym to get your body moving! Think about ways you can incorporate movement into your everyday life. Gardening, walking the dog, taking stairs at work (super cliche and I know this is often used as diety advice, but I also found it woke me up from my afternoon slump), cleaning, and playing with your kids are all ways to incorporate movement in a setting that isn’t a gym.

Consider safety

Unfortunately, we live in a world where all types of movement aren’t safe for all people. Whether it’s street harassment for female runners, or larger bodied people receiving stares or comments at the gym, feeling unsafe will make even the most enjoyable type of movement feel stressful. Consider what you need to do to feel safe, whether that means running in a well lit neighborhood, finding a more inclusive space to work out, a workout buddy, or even working out at home.

I think it’s important to note that while I value and promote joyful movement, sometimes movement isn’t so joyful, and that’s OK too! I’m thinking of friends and clients who have required physical therapy to heal from injuries, to aid mobility or symptoms with chronic medical conditions, or sometimes had to train for an event that meant working out at times that they really weren’t into it. It’s OK if it’s not always joyful, as long as it’s not punishing.

I also want to point out that exercise is not a moral obligation. Just like some people might try the crispy roasted broccoli and decide they actually like it, others might not. If that’s you, that’s OK! You don’t have to be one of those people who likes exercise, or engages with it. While movement certainly offers health benefits, there’s lots of other things that offer health benefits too. At the end of the day, it is 100% your decision whether or not you want to pursue health, and in what ways.