{"id":920,"date":"2020-10-20T08:04:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T15:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/?p=920"},"modified":"2020-10-20T08:04:54","modified_gmt":"2020-10-20T15:04:54","slug":"find-self-love-through-movement-you-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/find-self-love-through-movement-you-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Self-love through Movement You Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rediscover the Joy of Exercise, Part 1<\/h2>\n

\u201cMove your body because you love it \u2013 not because you hate it\u201d. <\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

This quote from Rebecca Scritchfield\u2019s brilliant book, <\/span>Body Kindness<\/span><\/i><\/a>, deeply resonated with me and continues to inspire me on a daily basis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From a young age, so many of us are conditioned to see movement and exercise as a tedious yet necessary undertaking. Everyone has heard about the benefits of exercise – how it can lower our susceptibility to many chronic diseases, help us combat stress, and even boost our brain function by improving memory and stimulating the growth of new brain cells.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"We all WANT these amazing benefits, but the actual process of moving our bodies can often feel like a chore \u2013 a means to an end that we can\u2019t wait to be over and done with. If that sounds like you, you\u2019re not alone, I promise! I also promise that there\u2019s a whole other dimension to movement that is just waiting to be explored. It\u2019s called <\/span>intuitive movement<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019re familiar with the term \u2018intuitive eating\u2019 (if you\u2019re not, check out our blog post<\/a> on it!). Intuitive eating is a practice that involves tuning into the innate intelligence of your body, and using that to guide your choices when it comes to food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Intuitive movement essentially applies these same principles to movement. It\u2019s an approach that encourages us to communicate with our body in a curious, respectful and mindful way, so that over time, we become increasingly aware of what kind of movement our body craves and needs at any specific moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like intuitive eating, intuitive movement is all about shifting from relying on external cues to honoring our internal cues. What exactly does that mean? Well to put it simply, external cues come from <\/span>outside our bodies<\/span><\/i>. They\u2019re often linked to societal pressure, and what we feel we <\/span>should<\/span><\/i> be doing to maintain our health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exercising to burn calories, to get a \u2018better\u2019 bikini body, or to clock in a particular number of steps are some examples of external cues that are heavily influenced by diet culture and a lucrative, image first, fitness industry. We are often tricked into thinking that these goals stem from our own intrinsic motivation, but that\u2019s just because we\u2019ve internalized what society tells us is \u2018good for us\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

While these external sources of motivation may push us to exercise more and enjoy some benefits in the short-term, they don\u2019t help us foster the healthiest relationship with movement or our bodies. When we workout purely because we feel we have to, we often don\u2019t enjoy the process and are therefore far less likely to be consistent in the long run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, popular forms of exercise, such as running, HIIT workouts, and lifting weights at the gym may be perfect for some people, but they\u2019re not going to be the best fit for all of us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality is that there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to exercise. Each of us is so unique, and we owe it to ourselves to find forms of movement that really work for us and nourish us in a holistic way.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where intuitive movement comes in. By becoming aware of the internal cues that come from <\/span>inside our bodies<\/span><\/i>, we can start to cultivate a new relationship with exercise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of sticking to a rigid, regimented routine prescribed by some fitness guru, we learn to trust that our body knows exactly what it needs in terms of the type, length and intensity of activity on a given day. At the same time, intuitive movement invites us to become more mindful and present as we move our bodies. This means that exercise can start to become an end in itself – something we crave, relish and keep coming back to because it sparks joy and fulfilment, not just afterwards but also during the actual process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If this sounds like what you\u2019re looking for, you\u2019re in the right place! Our UCAN coaches are passionate about mindful, intuitive movement and would love to help you figure out the best fit, when it comes to your fitness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Here\u2019s the first step: Figure out what kind of movement brings you joy!<\/b><\/h3>\n

Take some time to reflect on what kind of movement feels genuinely good and enjoyable within your body. Think back to a time when you\u2019ve felt so immersed in a physical activity that you completely lost track of time, let go of expectations and experienced a sense of complete presence. Reflect on what that felt like both during and after the activity. What changes did you notice within your body? How about your mood and your energy levels throughout that day?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Figuring out your \u2018happy place\u2019 when it comes to movement can take some time, and may even require a bit of <\/span>exploration and experimentation –<\/b> especially if you\u2019ve never experienced joyful movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re used to working out at the gym, why not try something a little different? Perhaps try a yoga class or a dance class, since these forms of movement tend to encourage more freedom and may feel less repetitive. If that doesn\u2019t appeal to you, perhaps venture into a kickboxing, rock-climbing or spin class. The options are truly endless!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you play around enough, something is bound to resonate and feel just right. Consider signing up for a FIT 100 class next semester. NAU\u2019s group fitness classes offer another great way to get started with your exploration (more info here:<\/span> https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/campusrecreation\/group-fitness\/<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, there is a wealth of online resources to support you. The options are endless on YouTube, from cranking up a Just Dance video to Yoga, or strength-training exercises – beginner to advanced. There\u2019s something for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The key to intuitive movement is to discover what you love and do those things because of the way it makes you feel – both during and after the movement. Put your weight or body sculpting goals on the back burner and allow the pure joy of body movement and improved mental health to become your primary driver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Come back next week for more tips on intuitive movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n

\n Maya Rajah, UCAN Health Coach<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rediscover the Joy of Exercise, Part 1 \u201cMove your body because you love it \u2013 not because you hate it\u201d. This quote from Rebecca Scritchfield\u2019s brilliant book, Body Kindness, deeply resonated with me and continues to inspire me on a daily basis.\u00a0 From a young age, so many of us are conditioned to see movement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=920"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":927,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920\/revisions\/927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}