Fitness Freedom

FitnessWellness

Sep 7

This is me — with a genuine smile, enjoying an impromptu outing, not worrying about how many calories I ate or burned that day.

I had been planning to do a workout that afternoon, but we decided on a family trip to downtown Greenville instead because the weather was just too beautiful. Instead of hitting my mat, I had a fun family day filled with strolling, sunshine, baby giggles, & gelato.

Years ago, missing a workout like this would have sadly ruined my day. I used to decline anything that threatened my exercise plans. If I had signed up for a Sunday morning barre class, I would say no to a last-minute brunch with friends. I would push back dinner dates and rush home to get ready just to fit in the most challenging yoga class. Every day revolved around that all-important sweat sesh.

This was done all under the guise of discipline and wellness. Wasn’t I just being healthy and setting boundaries for what was important to me? Nope, not even close.

Instead of listening to my body and working out to feel good, I was over-exercising just to check it off my self-mandated to-do list. Instead of feeling energized and relaxed post-workout, I was physically exhausted and mentally drained. Instead of honoring my relationship with others, I put my addiction to exercise first. Definitely not healthy.

How did I finally break free from obligatory fitness? Intuitive movement!

Simply put, intuitive movement is the practice of moving WITH your body instead of AGAINST it. It is learning to quiet the noise of diet culture, societal pressures, and self-imposed rules so that you can tune into what your body’s truly needs. It is NOT moving to lose weight, tone up, burn calories, or detox. It is NOT exercising out of fear of weight gain or physical changes.

I know first-hand how difficult it is to let go of this mental framework, but it is so worth it! Here are some questions you can ask yourself if you are struggling to move intuitively: