Hello friends and Happy Tuesday! Moving well through life and all its stages is important. But what about moving during times of transition from one phase to another? We’ve all been there and will probably all be there again at some point, so we should probably talk about it.

Transition is a toughie. For my OGs, you know I love a good definition. Transition is the process or period of changing from one state, stage, subject, or condition to another. Sometimes we get lucky and transition is a shorter period of time or more clearly delineated. Like moving. Moving stinks but there is also a pretty clear period of time starting with tying up loose ends at your current place and packing and ending with unpacking the majority of your stuff and getting into a routine at the new place.

Sometimes transition is less well defined. Dealing with the care needs of an aging relative is a good example here. Their needs may creep up slowly and gradually before you realize that things are in shift mode. Depending on the situation, you may also be dealing with unknowns for an extended period of time. Both of my parents dealt with aging mothers for over a decade.

I think that the common denominator that describes life in transition is mental and emotional stress. Moving, the beginning or end of a relationship, caregiver responsibilities, health diagnoses, parenthood, empty nesting, or any other life transition is characterized by feelings of mental overload and emotional upheaval.

So what does moving well during these phases mean? I think it means moving period. As anyone who has been through transition will tell you, your time is more in demand than usual. Finding the time to do something for yourself is important. Of course, depending on what specific situation you find yourself in, exercise may fall low on the priority list. But you also know I’m going to remind you that exercise has so many benefits beyond just the physical. And it’s the mental and emotional benefits that are actually more important here.

I’d also argue that moving during health diagnoses or caregiving responsibilities is important for the physical benefits. You can’t be expected to help someone else if you aren’t taking care of yourself first. Put your own oxygen mask on first and all that. If it’s you, then anything you can do to help your body is going to be important.

Back to the actual issue of time, though. I am not one of those trainers who berates people for not being motivated enough or committed enough. That kind of talk just creates more issues than it solves. There is no reason you can’t cut back a bit during times of transition. Most of the research suggests that you can cut back on duration and frequency of workouts and maintain your gains as long as you maintain intensity.

Meaning that you don’t need to run five days per week as long as you can do two at your typical intensity. Same goes for strength work. You can cut back on some of the extra sets as long as the intensity of your main lifts (i.e. squats, lunges, presses) stays the same. This has the double bonus of allowing you to focus your time a bit more elsewhere and hopefully getting more actual rest.

Movement during life transitions is another one of those things that falls victim to all or none thinking. Remember that perfect is the enemy of good. During times of transition, you are aiming for good enough. If you can look at efforts and honestly say you gave 75% effort, that’s good enough. And keep in mind there will be days that meet those metrics and others that don’t. Average it out over time.

And remember to be kind to yourself. Times of transition are difficult because of the mental and emotional load. Exercise and movement should be something that alleviates that stress and overwhelm. If it doesn’t, then it is adding to it and it may mean you need to cut back a bit more. Again, something is better than nothing. You’ll come out of the transition and be able to get back after it.

Until next time, move well friends.

0