How to Move Intuitively

Healthy Exercise Habits

We’ve talked about Intuitive Eating and the benefits of moving away from diet culture towards a practice that is more focused on eating with an intention of self-care and trust in your body. There is another lifestyle area that diet culture has a negative impact: Exercise. 

As with nutrition, diet culture can lead to either extremely rigid rules around when and how to exercise or to the development of an all-or-nothing mindset.  

When you learn to be more mindful and intuitive towards fitness, you will find that not only will you begin to enjoy it more, but you will also learn to trust your body to guide you to the types of movement you need.  

You can read more about how intuitive movement can work as a part of your daily life in the book Train Happy: An Intuitive Exercise Plan for Everybody by Tally Rye: https://tallyrye.co.uk/train-happy-book/.  

The Principles of Intuitive Movement: 

REJECT DIET MENTALITY: Shift the focus away from weight and appearance to health (mental and physical), enjoyment, and performance.  

HONOR YOUR HUNGER FOR EXERCISE AND STOP WHEN SATISIFED: Learn to listen to your body about when to exercise and for how long with attention to which types of exercises you enjoy and how energetic you are feeling.  

MAKE PEACE WITH EXERCISE: There are no “good” or “bad” forms of exercise. If you’ve had a negative experience with a type of exercise in the past, focus on a new way to be active.  

CHALLENGE THE FITNESS POLICE: Become aware of the rules you have around exercise and challenge their validity in relation to what your body enjoys and needs. 

DISCOVER THE FEEL-GOOD FACTOR: Exercise is not a form of punishment! Exercise is about self-care, self-respect, and self-expression.   

MANAGING EMOTIONS: Exercise can be a great tool to manage stress and emotions. Tune into what you are feeling and let it direct your fitness routine. Slow down on sad days, step it up on stressful days.  

ACCEPTING YOUR BODY: Rather than looking for big changes to how your body looks, focus instead on self-acceptance and body acceptance. Let go of comparison and celebrate what your body can do. 

GENTLE GUIDANCE: Be kind as you move away from how diet culture has influenced your approach to exercise. Letting go of the all-or-nothing mentality and accepting a more flexible mindset can be difficult but not unachievable. Be kind and take your time.