Hi Wellness Warriors! I’ve got the eighth installment of my Intuitive Exercise Series for you. If you are just tuning in, I’ve been using the ten Intuitive Eating Principles as a framework to show how Exercise Culture can be just as sneaky. (You can read the intro here and part one here.) The eighth principle of Intuitive Eating is to respect your body, and I’m pretty sure that doesn’t need amended.
I wrote at length last post about using exercise as punishment. But I think there is a difference between simply not punishing your body and actually respecting it. Bodies need nourishment of all kinds. The obvious source is from the nutrients in the food we eat. A not so obvious source is from the physical activity that we choose.
A person that is not punishing their body may choose to run because they are training for a 5K. Or perhaps because they are looking for some really bomb cardiovascular benefits. The person who respects their body, though, may still choose to run but may also choose to cross train (i.e. bike) some of the time. The person who respects their body knows that any one type of movement or exercise, regardless of benefit, can cause injury or harm if repeated too much.
Another person might choose to respect their body by resting it. I’ve talked a lot about rest in this series, and I stand by my statements. One of the quickest ways to burn out on a program or start really disliking exercise is to try and force your body to do it every. Darn. Day. Just like sleep is important for brain function and learning, rest is the most important way our body recovers and makes progress.
Respecting your body may also mean recognizing when you need to pull back. Especially for those who are in training for some kind of competition or event, it can be hard to pull back when you really really really want to set the PR. But making sure that you have those rest and recovery days built in are critically important.
On the flip side, respecting your body may mean listening when it asks for more challenge. As a trainer, I see exercisers get hooked on one program or one workout and keep at it. While finding something you love isn’t bad, the body is really good at adapting and if you don’t change it up from time to time, you will stagnate. Or to put it in industry terms, plateau.
Respecting the body means having a near constant conversation with it. And the conversation can’t be one sided. You have to be willing to not only listen but to respond accordingly when your body requests something. And you need to be mindful of what you are saying. “Feel the burn,” can mean different things at different times. One day it might mean, literally feel how the legs burn after sprint intervals. On another day it might be meant as a self motivation tactic that ends up with other implications.
Your body is smart and knows what types of activities help it feel strong and resilient. Those will be different things on different days. In fact, not that long ago, my husband and I decided that the whole family was too burned out on the go-go-go. So we had an all day movie/board game marathon. Not kidding you, all three of us had the best night’s sleep in months. We had to rest to actually get good rest.
Respecting your body by listening to and responding to it accordingly is probably the best act of self-love you can accomplish. And all it takes is a bit of time and practice.
Until next time, be well friends!
