Why You Don’t Need to Fix Your Body with Exercise

Do you feel at home in your body?

Do you approach movement and exercise as pleasure or punishment?

For many (many) years, I was at war with my body. I spent countless hours researching forms of exercise that would “burn the most calories” or give me a flat stomach. Ughhhhhh.

It’s only as I started to work on loving my whole self (soft stomach and all) that I have been able to build a new relationship with moving my body.

lf you can relate to using movement primarily to “fix” your body, or if you currently don’t enjoy moving your body but want to—I have a few ideas for you:

#1 Let Your Inner Child Remind You What Play Feels Like

We all have an inner child inside of us. That piece of us that is carefree and playful and unburdened by being cool or student loans.

Tapping back into your child self reminds you how joyful movement can be.

I have never met a child who does not love some form of movement: riding bikes, climbing trees, roller skating, playing tag, swimming.

Take a minute to close your eyes and think back to what you loved to do as a child. Then see if you can find a way to incorporate that into your life as an adult.

Loved swimming? Hit the pool or beach this weekend!

Loved playing team sports? Get online and look for a casual league or better yet—corral your friends into a game of kickball or hoops!

Loved riding your bike for hours? Dust that bad boy off and get pedaling!

#2 Remember There Are No Wrong Moves

Kids also don’t get too worked up over how they look when they’re playing or whether they’re “doing it right”.

So if you start to feel self-conscious or wonder if your butt looks good in those tights (it does!), take a couple deep breaths and remind yourself that your body is an actual fucking miracle.

No matter how it looks, the fact that you survived a global pandemic and that your heart pumps blood through your veins 24/7 and that you can use your senses to take in the world around you and connect with other people is nothing short of mind-blowing.

Give yourself some grace and remember that your body is powerful and amazing.

#3 Get Inspired

Still need a little boost? Listen to this podcast episode I recorded with my dancer/choreographer friend, Ruby Josephine Smith, all about the pleasure of moving your body.

Then comment below and let me know how this worked for you. I read each and every comment and always love to hear from you!

XO,💋⁠

Olaiya