“I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.”
~William James
Many of us have started exercising only to find that before long, we’ve stopped. Our motivation lagged when the pounds quit dropping off or when we found more interesting things to do. Feeling too tired or unable to find the time, we quit again.
We’re told repeatedly that we should be exercising. We know what and how much to do, and we understand why we need to do it. So why don’t we “just do it”? [private_membership circle]We chastise ourselves for being “lazy.” Eventually, feeling guilty, out of shape, and out of breath, we bully ourselves into yet another bout of exercise.
We join the gym, sign up for Rise and Shine Boot Camp, or decide to start walking. At times, we even enjoy it! For a while. But then the weight is not coming off fast enough. Our pants are still too tight. And we’re sore and tired and still out of breath! We start to dislike the exercise, maybe even hate it. Drudgery. Soon we quit, reinforcing our belief that we are just plain lazy, not committed enough, or not able to prioritize our lives.
More likely, we are “exercise resistant.” Exercise resistance, a deep-seated block against becoming physically active, develops when we use exercise to lose weight, to become more attractive, or to measure our self-worth. Just as our rebel-self defies external diet guidelines by going off the diet, we rebel against self-negating reasons to exercise by quitting or not even beginning.
When we start to move, we need a different focus. What about pleasure, self-fulfillment, social and psychological benefits, energy boosts, or a sense of self-mastery? What about realizing that physical activity is our birthright? That we are born with a “hunger for movement!” That as infants and children, we delighted in any movement. We were not self-conscious about how we looked, our weight, or whether we were moving correctly. We moved and played because it felt good and it was fun.
We need to reclaim that birthright and find activities that we enjoy. Activities that meet deeper needs. Activities that make us happy and that feel like play.
If you are able to recall a time when moving was fun, what activity were you doing? Riding your bike? Dancing with friends to Chubby Checker, the Rolling Stones, A Flock of Seagulls, Madonna? Splashing around in the pool or the lake, seeing whose cannonball could make the biggest splash? How might you move this way again?
If you are not able to recall a time when you enjoyed moving, begin to explore what looks like fun now. With a friend, observe a hip hop class or a gentle yoga session. Attend your niece’s tap dance recital. Watch a tennis match. Go to a playground; listen to the laughter. What might be fun for you? Tune into your impulses and energy as you imagine joining in. Trust yourself and your body to find the movement that is right for you.
If we move because we want to feel exhilarated and empowered and because we want to have fun, we will find the motivation to keep moving for the rest of our lives, joyfully!
Affirming statement: “I move with joy.”
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Nutrition therapists Amy Tuttle, RD, LCSW and Karin Kratina, RD, PhD provide no-diet articles and resources including “Stay Attuned: The E-zine for Nourishing Connections” at their Nourishing Connections website. www.nourishingconnections.com
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