What is joyful movement?
I talk about joyful movement so much! Most people respond with, “I’ve never enjoyed exercise, I’ll never find joy in it.” I understand this outlook, when you are solely focused on using exercise to change your body then it probably will feel like a chore.
Joyful movement reframes exercise as something to find pleasure in. Moving your body has a huge range of physical and mental benefits. Take a look at the infographic above - there are so many wonderful effects of exercise but we often forget or ignore them. In my experience, once I get my clients to focus on these benefits, they are much likely to commit to exercising in the long term.
As personal trainer, I love clients who are able to commit to a regular programme, particularly if they have performance goals such as lifting heavier or moving quicker. However, to get to that stage sometimes we need to step back and start exercising for fun. This will help us reconnect to exercise as a fun activity.
A good way to decide what kind of movement you would actually like to pursue is to ask the following question…
“If exercise has no impact on weight or physical appearance, what would you choose to do?”
Maybe you would;
swap out your run with a hot yoga session
cancel your body pump session so you could try climbing
have a dance party with your kids instead of pounding the treadmill
head out for an evening hike instead of zumba
There are no good or bad ways to move your body (despite what the diet industry is always telling you). A run is not better than a walk. The best exercise is something that you want to do, find enjoyment from and want to commit to. A good way to challenge your fitness beliefs is to take off your fitness tracker for a week. Being committed to hitting certain arbitrary goals (10,000 steps or burning a certain number of calories) can remove your ability to assess whether you have actually enjoyed exercise.
Have you ever got through a gruelling HIIT class, decided you hated it only to be lured back in when your watch tells you have burnt 500 calories? You will never enjoy that class, it will always feel like a chore. Find something that you actually enjoy regardless of how many calories you burn.
I have kept a diary of how 10 days of joyful movement has shaped up for me to give you a better idea of how it works in practice and maybe give you some ideas!
Day 1 - 45 minute Spinning Class
My first spin class after lockdown! I love this particular spin teacher, she picks great music and she is super motivating. It was challenging but I felt super buzzed afterwards!
Day 2 - 45 minute Barre Class
The first time I have tried this mix of ballet and light weights work. It was hard work but enjoyable, the teacher was a good laugh. It was lovely to chat to some of my fellow class members, it’s always nice to have a social aspect when we exercise. I rebooked for next week.
Day 3 - Rest Day
I’ve never been afraid of a good rest day! I needed it after the barre session, I had achy shoulders and legs.
Day 4 - 1 hour weights session
Back on the gym floor! I didn’t go in with a particular plan, i just chose which equipment looked good to me at the time. I felt strong AF afterwards!
Lat pull down 25kg 12x3
Bench press 20kg 12x3
Pulley 15kg 12x3
Leg press 120kg 12x3
Leg extension 20kg 12x3
Leg curl 20kg 12x3
Day 5 - long walk home
I didn’t do any planned movement today but as I walked home from my PT sessions the weather was lovely so I took the long way home, enjoyed some quiet time, picked up some fresh bread and enjoyed the sunshine.
Day 6 - 30 minute swim
I didn’t really fancy a weights session and I didn’t have a class booked but knew I wanted to do some exercise. I set the intention of a 30 minute swim. I’m not the strongest swimmer, I didn’t count laps or lap times, I just went at my own pace. Felt lovely and relaxed afterwards. A friend gave me some swimming techniques to look up, so will try those in my next session to see if I can improve my technique.
Day 7 - 45 minute HIIT class
Helped out a friend with her group exercise planning by taking part in her HIIT class. Liz programs tough workouts, she even added in a hard Tabata finisher. It was the hardest workout this week but I loved it, I left very hot and red-faced! There were only 3 other classmates but we had a good laugh - slept well afterwards!
Day 8 - 45 minute Barre Class
Different teacher from last week meant a very different class, a lot more ballet moves. Felt a bit out of place and struggled to follow along! Enjoyed the movement but probably wouldn’t do it again. Will try to find the other teacher again!
Day 9 - 1 hour Hatha Yoga Class
My favourite yoga teacher at my gym, she actually speaks about why we do certain poses. She brings in the spiritual aspects rather than it all being body focused. She did a lot of balance work so I know I’ll feel that tomorrow!
Day 10 - Rest Day
As suspected, I’m a little sore after yoga. Rest day very much required!
As you can see, I have done lots of different types of movement and I have inadvertently done strength training, cardiovascular training and mobility/flexibility training. Without focusing too much on it, I have benefitted both my mind and body with these movement choices. Once we find body trust and connect to what our body wants, we often find that we know better than any fitness tracker.
At no point during this have I dreaded exercise, I have always been excited to do it. Some of that has been trial and error, I have managed to find some great teachers over the last 2 years. If you don’t click with an instructor first time round then try the class again with a new instructor - it can help transform your experience!
As a takeaway from this blog, have a think about what movement you really enjoy. Try to take into account the benefits in the infographic above and try to stop thinking of exercise solely as a way to change yourself.