Run to chase after your dog.
Walk with a friend to catch up.
Stretch your body after an energizing nap.
Bike to be green and to get to commute.
Lift heavy things to make daily living easier.
Swim to feel the cool sensation of water all over your body.
Climb stairs to see sights from new heights.
Hike to explore the nature around you.
Practice yoga to connect your mind and body.
Play with reckless abandonment and to channel your inner child.
Reach your arms up with joy.
Don’t workout to give yourself permission to eat.
Don’t workout to burn calories.
Don’t hammer away at cardio because you’ve been told that x number of minutes a day is necessary and acceptable.
Don’t abuse your body to reach a certain aesthetic.
Don’t move because you feel forced.
Don’t let working out give you a sense purpose.
Don’t rely on exercise as your only source of stress relief.
Don’t break your body down with no intention of building it back up.
Move with intention. Move with positive motivations. Move when it feels right. Move how it feels good. Move reasonably, not as a reason to live. Move because you want to, not because you should.
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Today and everyday reflect on how you’re incorporating movement in your life. What are your intentions behind it? Is it forced or is it free? Ask yourself these questions and evaluate whether your relationship with exercise is nourishing or hindering your life. Movement should be naturally woven into daily living…not under compulsion or driven by societal standards and obligations.
Kaila
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13 responses to “Move with Intention”
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LOVE like you may not be here tomorrow 🙂
Love that.
amen!
The timing on this is incredibly perfect. I haven’t been to kind to myself lately, and yesterday, while sitting at a family cookout- I found myself not enjoying the friends and family that I was surrounded with, but more worried about how I was feeling in my own skin, and that is not okay. I was thinking about all of the work I would have to put in this week to make up for the bad foods I ate this weekend, instead of being in the moment and focusing on what matters the most. Over the past 3 years- I have completely changed my life. At my lowest weight, I had lost 125 lbs. I started running and LOVED it. I put on some weight while training for my first half marathon, and while I had NEVER felt better at that slightly higher weight (which, I ironically, was the same weight that I had originally set as my “goal weight” when I first started my weight loss journey,) I became obsessed with the number. And for the past year- I have been struggling over this insignificant measure- the number became the meter stick for literally every aspect of my life. The number determined what type of food day I would have. The number would determine how hard and how fast I would have to run to “make up for it.”
I woke up this morning and I said, “no more.” I love working out- I actually enjoy it as a hobby, and don’t ever want to get to the point where I resent it, because it took me so long to get to this place to begin with. I did a workout this morning that I actually WANTED to do, instead of “needing” to do to make up for food indiscretions over the weekend. I also decided that every day for the next month, I am going to write one thing I love about myself, put it in a jar, and at the end of the month, I am going to read everything I wrote about myself. I love who I am as a person, and life is to short to not live a life that you love. I am sorry for confessing my recent life story to you via comments, but just wanted to let you know how much I needed and appreciated your post today. Thank you, Kaila.
AMEN! You shouldn’t spend “x” number of minutes working out because you need to to burn “x” number of calories. I see it in the gym and in magazines ALL the time, and it breaks my heart.
I work out because I LIKE it and not because I have to. I workout because I like knowing that I’m strong enough carry a crap-ton of groceries into the house. If your fitness routine isn’t functional, then why are you working out in the first place? Looking good is simply a bonus to living a healthier life. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
YES! Being active should be something we do because we truly love it, not because we have to justify eating or do it to ease anxiety. And we should do what works for us, not what the latest fitness trend is!
Exactly.
Again, I’m so proud of you for following through with your no-exercise challenge and I hope you’ll continue. I’ve been on an exercise break (of sorts) for a while now and I can honestly say I feel better than I have in years. My relationship with food and working out has changed drastically over the past 6 months and, as uncomfortable as it was at first, I’m extremely thankful. Do I eat as ‘healthy’ as I used to? No. Definitely not. Have I gained weight? Sure. But it doesn’t bother me. I’m actually more confident now than I was 20-30 pounds lighter…which still surprises me sometimes.
I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent– I just hope that you’ll continue to find happiness in change and spontaneity. I know it’s difficult (especially with anxiety like we have) but it’s absolutely amazing.
xoxo
What a wonderful message!! I think if fitness is incorporated in everyday life and activities, it just becomes part of a routine and allows us to step away from scale/food/calorie thoughts…moving should feel good and let us know we are doing something right for our bodies! 🙂
This is beautiful, Kaila. See, I knew your blog’s inspirational content wouldn’t decrease one bit by your exercise break. No need to post workouts to keep people coming back and considering you a role model.
Walking with friends might be one of my absolute favourite ways of moving. It’s nicer than just sitting down because the thoughts and words keep flowing so much easier when moving. And the focus is being with one another – not the metres or miles walked.
“Lift heavy things to make daily living easier.” <- which reminds me I still need to buy mineral water which is my weekly [and only] arm workout. If only there was a way to avoid that…
love!
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