If your only connection with exercise is it feeling like a punishment,
Understand that it may be hard to ‘find your why’ for doing it. To find ENJOYMENT in it.

First, of all- if that’s you-I want you to treat yourself with kindness b/c no one I know
can’t wait to do something that feels like a punishment. (enter heavy sarcasm)

So where we’ll begin is with a thought experiment…
I want you to start by thinking about how movement makes you feel,

And before we get started with our brainstorming,
I want to differentiate movement and exercise.
So, Exercise is defined by any “activity [that] requires physical effort, [and is] carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness.”
Movement, however is defined by “an act of movement”
So for our journal prompt here, (or this thought experiment)
we’re going to START with movement.

That means THIS (arm swing)
That means THIS (getting up from chair to stretch)
and that also means this- (rubbing neck-from staying in the same spot for a while)
We are NOT talking about a 30 minute jog-
or going to the gym and doing 12 weighted bicep curls.
In this thought experiment, we are only talking about movement.

So, now- I want to ask you:
How does MOVEMENT make you feel?
Since this isn’t a LIVE exercise (op- there’s that word again)
my HOPE is that you find at least one positive association with movement.
My hope is that you come up with answers like
Movement makes me feel ‘Less stiff’
or movement makes me feel ‘playful’
There are no right answers here- and there are plenty (so feel free to drop em in the comments if you want)

But this is where I begin when it comes to improving how you approach exercise,
I rewind the tape. Or I pull back the layers
and make it LESS complicated- b/c oftentimes that’s ONE REASON why folks hate it so much- it’s freakin’ complicated.
How many reps, for how long (when do I do it- HOW often do I do it) etc etc.
But oftentimes, what i’ll uncover is that it’s become a form of punishment b/c voices have told you over the years that you aren’t good enough.
AND THAT my friend (i’m here to remind you)
is so freakin’ wrong.
You DO deserve the benefits of exercise and movement-
the getting stronger part, the improving your flexibility, the improved heart rate and endurance. You don’t (and have NEVER deserved the punishment that comes along with it)
Whether it came from your elementary school PE teacher, a jerk on the playground or your own parents- you didn’t deserve it.

So- we’re going to start here. With MOVEMENT.
We’re starting from a place of stillness and we’re leaning into movement
and we’re going to evaluate how THAT makes you FEEL.
(without any input from the mean voices of the past.)
This is where you and I begin.