Intuitive Movement: 6 Tips to Get Started
What is intuitive movement? The practice of connecting with your body, honoring how it is feeling with your choice of movement, how long and its intensity. Similar to intuitive eating, you are using your own cues and listening to your body to make the choice of what to do, or not to do.
Why do we use the term ‘movement’ at TSN vs. ‘exercise?’ For many, the term ‘exercise’ has a negative association with punishment, force, pain, rigor, and disconnection from their body. ‘Movement’ on the other hand, can be any way you move your body, in a gentle and kind way, and does not necessarily need to be within a formal fitness setting.
How to get started:
Body scan: take a quiet moment and ask yourself, ‘how am I physically feeling right now?’ Are you sore, tired, energized, anxious?
Find joyful movement that fits your needs at that moment: What movement brings you joy or would serve your needs at this moment? What would be the most pleasurable type of activity for you to do? How do you want to feel after your movement? Calm? Energized?
Choose rest or activity that feels right for you given that moment.
3. Check in with how you feel: If you choose to move, check in during the movement - how are you feeling? Pleasant / Neutral / Unpleasant? If something is not feeling pleasant or neutral, you have full permission to stop what you’re doing (even if it’s halfway or 5 minutes through a class!).
4. Allow movement to be flexible vs. all-or-nothing/rigid planning. While it can be helpful to have a “plan” going into a week or a specific workout, part of intuitive movement is being okay with adapting to what your body is feeling at the moment. Feel like doing something, but don’t feel in the mood to do that high-intensity class you planned on going to? A 10-minute walk or some gentle stretching can be just as great - it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.
5. Invest in comfortable clothing. Feeling comfortable in the clothes you are moving in is critical to you enjoying your movement. If the whole time you are moving you are thinking about how your leggings keep riding down, chances are you won’t be very present in the activity. Considering size inclusive brands which offer athletic wear is a great option. Find our favorites here *link to blog post 3*.
6. Allow rest to play an important role in your relationship with movement. As Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Reish say in the Intuitive Eating book, “sometimes, not exercising is the healthier choice for your body.” Allowing true rest days will allow your body to recover as needed, and enjoy your movement days even more as it will be fresh and fun.
Benefits of Intuitive Movement
When you focus on movement as a way to take care of yourself versus as a form of punishment or as a way to “earn” calories or food, you can better embrace all of the wonderful benefits that movement has to offer OUTSIDE of weight loss, which include:
Increased bone strength & healthier joints
Increased stress tolerance
Decreased blood pressure
Reduced risk of chronic disease
Strengthened immune system
Increased good cholesterol (HDL)
Increased heart and lung strength
Improved mood
Improved satiety cues
Increased memory and mental clarity
Improved sleep
Decoupling Exercise from Weight Loss Attempts
Consider why you are moving your body. What is your intention? If you have only ever exercised for the intention of losing weight, this may be a good time to reflect on your own fat-bias/fatphobia and explore what type of movement you would choose if there was no consideration of it changing your body.
Signs of Overexercising
Exercising more is not always better or healthier. How do you know if you are overexercising? Signs may include:
Inability to stop, even when you’re sick or injured.
Feeling guilty if you miss a day of workout
Compensating with more exercise if you feel as if you “ate too much”
Being afraid of suddenly getting fat if you stop for a single day
Exercising solely for the purpose of not gaining weight
Not being able to exercise/move without a fitness tracker (Apple Watch, FitBit, etc.) or feeling like your movement doesn’t “count” if it’s not tracked or you don’t hit a calorie goal.
Finally, remember that movement comes in many forms. Movement doesn’t just have to mean programmed, traditional workouts. It can be walking your dog, playing with your kids, doing chores in the house, dancing, you name it! The best thing you can do for YOU is the thing you enjoy.
