You’ve probably heard the phrase, “listen to your body at least half a million times.”

You’ve probably even heard it from me!

But if you’re confused about what exactly that means, you’re definitely not alone. 

This idea of  “tuning in” to your body can feel so foreign at times. And leaves you wondering what the hell that actually looks like.

But in the same way that intuitive eating teaches you to pay less attention to society’s ‘rules’ around food, and more attention to feedback from your own body, intuitive movement encourages you to do the same! 

And once you have the right tools, it can be an incredibly transformative practice!

Your body was made to move.

But somewhere along the line, movement got hijacked and instead of moving to feel good, we were taught that movement was to try and change our bodies.

That something about us wasn’t quite enough. 

And for a lot of us that translated into a less than healthy relationship with exercise and our bodies. But movement is about SO much more than trying to change your physical body. 

The list of benefits is a long one!

From improving your heart health, and increasing joint mobility, to better moods, more energy, even improved sleep quality. There’s plenty of research that exercise can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, boost self esteem, and the flood of endorphins you get makes almost everything feel a little bit more manageable.

BUT that does NOT mean you have to be crushing it daily!

Too much of a good thing is not a good thing! For some of us, the challenge is not in moving more, but in allowing ourselves to slow down a little when needed. It’s all about BALANCE!

Here are a few of the ways an unhealthy relationship with exercise can show up: 

• Overexercising that results in injuries, burnout and having a hard time recovering 

• Exercising compulsively, forcing your way through workouts even when you’re sick or exhausted 

• Forcing yourself to do workouts that you hate because you “should” 

• Getting stuck in the all-or-nothing trap and avoiding physical activity altogether. It’s training for a marathon or binging netflix, no in-between. 

Intuitive movement encourages you to listen to your body as the guide, instead of following arbitrary ‘rules’ about what exercise is supposed to look like, and it can be a real game changer.

Especially if you’ve struggled with your relationship to movement and your body, intuitive movement helps you realize that it's actually supposed to feel good!

A way to nourish your body, not punish it. 

Learning to recognize subtle feedback from your body can help you to figure out what your body truly needs. Do you feel like going for a run, or would a walk feel more nourishing?

And if you’re paying attention the answer probably changes from day to day and even moment to moment. Sometimes I’ll start out on a hike only to turn around and do some yoga instead. In the same way there is no one perfect diet for everyone, movement looks different for everyone too.

And what you need changes day by day! 

Just like some days you feel hungrier than others, your needs for movement might vary from day to day too. And it’s all NORMAL! 

Here are 5 Simple Ways to Move more Intuitively and Build a Better Relationship with Exercise:  

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO, NOT ALL THE REASONS YOU CAN’T 

I know I used to get stuck in the all-or-nothing trap pretty often. Telling myself I had to run for an hour for it to “count.” I’d force my way through workouts no matter how little sleep I got the night before, slog through hours on the treadmill despite underfeeding my body, and then get frustrated that I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted.

It took awhile to finally realize that working WITH my body and not against it, not only FEELS better but it actually got me closer to my goals too. We really do change best when we feel GOOD. 

A walk around the block, digging in your garden, chasing the kids around, it all counts. Maybe you don;t have time to go hiking for an hour, but you can do a 7 minute HIIT circuit or a 15 minute walk around your neighborhood. 

Shift your thinking to focus more on what you CAN do and you’ll be surprised how many opportunities show up. 

PRIORITIZE MOVEMENT YOU ENJOY

That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to “feel like” moving your body every single day. Sometimes you may have to focus on how you’re going to feel after vs how you feel in the moment. But your motivation matters! 

Getting up everyday and going for a run because you’re terrified of gaining weight  vs getting out everyday because you’re trying to beat your own PR in your next half marathon are VERY different motivations for a behavior that looks very much the same on the outside. 

Approaching your goals with more compassion for yourself not only makes it easier to stick with them long term, it makes the whole journey a lot more enjoyable too! 

Try to stay focused on the activities you truly enjoy vs. the ones you think you “should” be doing. When you want to run, run and when you want to walk, walk. Lift, stretch, paddle, dance...and when you need rest, let yourself rest. 

Exercise doesn’t just mean showing up at the gym every morning. Hiking with your family and dancing in the kitchen counts too!

CREATE A FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE 

If you’re busy (which, who isn’t?!) Scheduling exercise can be super helpful! And that doesn’t mean you need to hold yourself to a super strict timeline, but it does help to carve out space for yourself so the 10,000 other things on your to-do list don’t take priority. 

A little bit of planning ahead can be helpful, because if you want to make it to a barre class you’ve got to sign up ahead of time. Even going for a hike after work requires packing your shoes. But you can still leave time and space in your day to check in and do what feels best in the moment. So just because you planned on a hike, if a run sounds better (or vice-versa) give yourself permission to do what feels good.  

There’s definitely a fine line between doing something on the days you don’t want to and forcing your body when it actually needs rest, but the more you tune into the signals and give yourself permission to do what feels good the easier it gets! 

CONNECT WITH YOUR BODY 

During college I was a TA for an anatomy lab. It sounds kinda strange now but I used to study then go workout to reinforce everything I’d just learned about  muscle names and functions and what was connected to where. And to my surprise, it wasn’t just my anatomy knowledge that got better, but my workouts too. 

Connecting with your body during movement helps you pay more attention. And one of the great secrets of life is to pay attention. Bringing more mindfulness and presence to your workouts makes it easier to know when you need a break, and when you would benefit from pushing harder. 

For example, if you’ve been sitting at your desk all day, your body may be begging to move and stretch. Or, if you’ve got a lot going on and are having a hard time getting your brain to slow down, a hard run may be exactly what you need. But if you were up all night with sick kiddos you might just need some rest. 

Try taking 30 seconds to do a mini body scan before a workout and then ask “what does my body need at this moment? Am I feeling … tired, anxious, energized” … what would feel good. And then trust the answers that come up. 

INCORPORATE MINI MOVEMENT BREAKS 

The little things really DO matter. And they add up over time. Sometimes i feel like a broken record about this but it’s so easy to discount the little things we do every day but it really does matter! 

An important part of being more intuitive with your movement means moving your body when you're in the mood for it. But most of us don’t exactly have the luxury of just following our whims all day. It may not be feasible to just get up and go for a walk in the middle of your work day.

But you can still schedule mini movement breaks into your day. If you’re paying attention, there’s probably different times in your day where you’ve been sitting for hours and you’re feeling a little fidgety, or sleepy or maybe you’re losing focus. 

So instead of just pushing through or grabbing another cup of coffee, get up and stretch or do a few jumping jacks. Something small to shift your energy and refresh your mind. 

THE TAKEAWAY

Exercise is an incredible way to help you manage your stress!

BUT, exercise is a form of stress too.  A good kind of stress that helps your body get stronger. Hormesis is defined as an adaptive response by your body to a moderate amount of intermittent stressors. And exercise is a perfect example.

It’s why progressively lifting heavier weights helps your body to adapt and grow stronger. But, if your body is depleted, and you’re forcing your way through your favorite workouts, all of your hard work may actually be making things worse.

Unlearning the ‘rules,’ and allowing your body to guide your movement choices is not going to happen overnight! 

Especially after a lifetime of ignoring your own needs, it takes time to start tuning into these subtle signals from your body. Let go of the lie that your workouts have to look a certain way to “count” and try moving your body because it feels good, mentally and physically, not because you’re trying to change it. 

Flipping the script on exercise isn’t always easy, but I promise it’s worth it.