Reasons to Exercise: Weight Neutral Edition
Fitness is so frequently framed as a way to change and transform our bodies. While those may be side effects of activity and training, they are not the only goal for working out.
If you are trying to move away from working out strictly for aesthetic reasons, you are not alone. Exercise can be a health-promoting tool without being influenced by diet culture. Focusing on the benefits of movement that have nothing to do with how your body looks can be a great first step.
One of my favorite reasons to continue building endurance and strength is to be able to move furniture on my own. Without help. Whenever I want. 🛏️🛋️ My grandma is 85 and she still insists on moving furniture around her house on a whim. She has never had a consistent formal workout plan, but the movement that she does get from gardening, walking, and cleaning help support her throughout the day.
I nannied for many years and I will tell you, the energy that children have is undeniable. 🥵 I have so many parents in my membership who use fitness and movement as a form of self-care AND a way to keep up with their families. And for people like me, pets also keep you busy. Not just walking them but playing with them and cleaning up after them.
Another reason to have a movement practice is for mental health benefits. Since I work for myself, I am my only coworker to yell at but I still do it 😅 Sometimes, I will shut down what I am working on and just do a quick five minute desk stretch. There have even been days where I have gone for a RUN. That's how anxious/ frustrated I was. Y'all know I don't like to run! But movement can help handle those feelings and channel them. It can also make sitting back down or returning to a task much more enjoyable.
Not all exercise is glamorous and instagrammable (is that a word?). I know for some people, movement is used to help with chronic pain. And some days movement is not available because of pain, sickness, or lack of time. Not all goals need to be based on aesthetics. By reframing our reasons WHY we exercise, movement can once again become an enjoyable practice.