Beyond Fitness: The Holistic Benefits of Mindful Movement

Changing your mindset about movement

Something I've been thinking about a lot recently is how we move about our lives. Not just to stay in shape. But all the ways in which we move our bodies and how these things can hurt us or help us get stronger and thrive.

I used to think that all physical movement was good for me at all times. Even when I was exhausted, I pushed myself to go on a run or workout. I still do this sometimes today!

I have learned through the recovery process from being in a constant state of fight or flight and also from healing from a stroke that this is not always the case. 

We can experience the most growth and healing from our time at rest and this is when our muscles actually grow. 

Not letting ourselves rest can actually make us weaker and more susceptible to sickness. 

Also, for women, there is the added bonus of our cycle and I now know that there are certain times for certain types of movement and certain times where rest benefits us more.

I’m going to share with you a few of the things I learned on my healing journey about movement and how I can use it to always support myself.

Rest is as Important as the Movement - I learned this lesson when I was training for a half marathon. To start, I love running. It makes me feel so good and I will always be a runner. At this time I had signed up for 2 training programs. One with a bunch of amazing ladies that were all stronger than me, so a great challenge. The other, with a guy I was dating that was also challenging and a very large group of men and women. I was training almost every day of the week and not getting much rest.  Felt great and thought I’m really going to improve my time and kick some serious ass on this race. I also thought I would lose a few pounds which would also increase my time.

What happened though was, I actually did not lose weight which I thought was weird. When the moment came for my half, my time really tanked. It was my worst time ever. Even worse than the time I ran a half without training. 

I was baffled until I did a little bit of research. You see, because I was not resting. My body was in fight or flight mode and as a matter of survival it was holding onto that extra weight. Also my muscles were not getting stronger because the growth period for muscles is when you're at rest. I was actually breaking down my muscles. My gosh, what an epic lesson. 

I would have most likely done much better with just one of the training programs and added rest. 

Honor the Way Your Body Feels Always! - I am much better at this now. Every day I ask myself what kind of movement I can add to support the way I feel. Notice that most of the time, even when I’m a bit tired I still move. It’s just a more aligned movement with the way my body feels. So, if I’m a little tired I’ll Walk instead of run, or I’ll just do a gentle yoga session. If I’m too stressed, I don’t run because this increases my stress levels because it keeps me in fight or flight. This is when a good walk in nature serves me or some yoga. 

You see, it’s important for us to get up every day and move around a little bit, unless you're recovering from sickness or a severe injury. 

Movement not only energizes us, but it also helps the systems of the body work better and helps emotions move through our body. If all you can muster up for the day is a short dance to your favorite song then you can consider it a win. 

When I’m feeling great i'll run and maybe hit the weights. I don’t love doing weights so I gotta be feeling good to do this. I know lifting weights is so important as I get older. This leads me to the next thing I’ve learned. 

Movement Supports you Differently Depending on Where you are in your Life and Cycle. - 

What was good for me in my twenties isn’t necessarily good for me now in my fifties. As I’m fully in mid-life and working with perimenopause and menopause. Hardcore hours long workouts don’t serve me. Not because I don’t have the energy or because I can’t do it but because my body and my needs are changing. Going into perimenopause as our hormones change, we are more likely to be anxious. If I do hardcore workouts this stresses me more, keeps me in fight or flight and makes it impossible to lose the midlife weight gain. I can actually lose weight more easily by doing some yoga and lifting some heavy weights. This will lower my stress and my stress hormones to allow my body to release that extra weight and build muscle. Something we lose a lot of mid-life. I still run, just not every day and I make sure I get the rest I need. This leads me to the next thing Iearned. 

Building Muscle is Important for the Quality of Life We Will Experience as we Age. - We start losing muscle mass in our 30’s and 40’s. Our muscles are so important not just to keep us strong but to protect our bones and bodies and keep us well balanced to avoid falling. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be weak or have low energy as I get older. So, the best advice I can give all women is that the time to start building muscle is now. It’s never too late or too early to start. As we move into menopause, we lose so much muscle and it gets a little bit harder to build it too so starting as early as possible in building some muscle storage will benefit you long term. It will pay you back with energy, health, strength, and balance, all important things as we age!

Do What Feels Good and Makes You Happy. - Stop looking to others to make a plan for your movement. We want this to be a long term lifestyle change that supports your health and happiness. You have to learn all the different types of movement that feel good for you and help you do the things needed to keep your body healthy and strong. What works for me might not work for you. The question to ask yourself is, what feels good for me at this age and gives me what is needed at this time in my life? What helps me relax, reduce stress? What energizes me? What helps me build muscle? I can make a list of 100 different things you could do but this is something you need to figure out for yourself. 

So your challenge today is to, come up with a movement plan that is fun, supportive, and effective. 

For me, at this point in my life, it is, running sometimes, walking in nature (Sometimes with a weighted vest), a lot, all types of yoga, dancing in my living room, lifting weights, and sometimes breathwork. 

What will you do to support yourself as you get older or move onto the next phase of your life?

Xo, T

P.S. To get support and guidance stepping into all the practices I talk about on the blog and on the SASC Podcast join me in the Soul Aligned Self Care Circle, a monthly coaching membership supporting your self-care, mindset, and self-love so you can live your life fully and thrive in all areas. Join me HERE<<