In my mid twenties, I became very obsessed with exercise. I had started exercising more in order to lose weight, along with cutting calories (yep, dieting) but at this time in my life I was wanting to drink more, eat more… and yet I was terrified of gaining weight, so I figured I would just exercise more and it would prevent that. It was completely a disordered way to approach food and exercise but at the time I really didn’t see that. I thought weight control was just part of life because it had been part of mine for so long and it seemed to be for others as well.
It got to a point where I would sometimes walk to the gym twice a day- once in the morning for an hour or two and again in the evening for a 45min class. I would wear a watch that supposedly tracked how many calories I burned and I’d be thrilled if I was over 800. If I wasn’t sweating, burning, hurting I felt I didn’t push myself hard enough. I was always taking progress pics. I remember standing in the bathroom stall at the gym one day and looking through some previous progress pics and thinking ‘wow, I was looking really good there… why didn’t I see it at the time?” and after that happened multiple times I finally woke up to the realization that if I was constantly chasing a “better body” I was never going to feel satisfied with the body I had… I would be constantly chasing something unattainable.
When I was 26, I’d just gotten my personal trainer certification and had applied for a job at the gym I went to when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. So I scrapped the personal trainer plan and quickly found I didn’t feel like lifting weights or doing major cardio. I didn’t even really want to go to the gym. I kept up with yoga and slower forms of exercise but instead of focusing on what my body looked like, it was more about preparing my body for labor and prioritizing my baby’s and I health. When I discovered intuitive eating in my late twenties, part of that was joyful movement. So pregnancy and IE are what changed my exercise mindset from one that focused so heavily on appearance and “more is better” to one that put health and enjoyment first.
Evelyn Tribole says principal 9 of intuitive eating is “exercise- feel the difference”. She describes this as “Just as Intuitive Eating helps you reclaim satisfaction in eating, it also helps you reclaim satisfaction in movement. When you move in a way that brings joy or aliveness, you are truly nourishing body, mind, and spirit. All bodies are different, and each of us enjoy different activities.”.
Doesn’t reading that make you feel like you have permission to actually find exercise/movement that you ENJOY? You don’t have to run, lift weights, do Crossfit etc if that doesn’t bring you any joy. There are so many different ways to move your body and reap the health benefits that it’s downright silly to spend that time on something you really dislike. It’s also normal for your likes to change! I’ve gone through periods where I loved running, yoga, hiking, heavy weight lifting, pilates, HIIT… I change it up if I stop enjoying it.
I haven’t been a gym member in 5 years but I do really like doing home workouts, so I’m always looking for ones that aren’t fully of diet talk like “let’s work out now so you can enjoy dessert later!” or a lot of focus on appearance like “slim thigh workout”. Whether you find that sort of talk triggering or just mildly annoying, I think those messages are overall harmful and unnecessary.
Here’s a list of workout programs that skip the diet talk:
Last month I joined The Class (save 50% off your first month with code JAN23SO) and have been loving it! It’s yoga based but unlike any I’ve done before. There’s lots of movement but also stretching and meditation. I find I can really focus when doing it vs trying to multitalk and that I feel more invigorated and relaxed by the end. I haven’t heard any sort of diet talk in any of the classes. There is also some diversity with the instructors which I also look for. I did notice their online store sells “detox” products which is not a word I love but the products themselves seemed fine; something I wanted to mention though in case you’re trying to avoid Wellness Culture. I feel excited to keep doing these workouts, so as long as they continue to feel good, I’ll keep at it! Eventually I’ll grow tired of it and move onto something else, which is totally normal and okay (it does not mean you failed or are a quitter).
I encourage you to find what you enjoy whether it is a workout program or class or other forms of movement like walking, swimming, dancing, gardening etc
What sort of exercise do you currently feel drawn to and excited by?
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I walk everyday - having a dog or two is great motivation to get out. ☺️ And I love yoga - I usually do videos from YouTube. My two faves are Yoga with Kassandra and Yoga with Adrienne. I will check out your list and see if anything jumps out at me. Thanks for sharing!