Did you know that there is such a thing as feel good fitness? Lol. That may seem like an oxymoron to some, but I promise you there is a way to find joy in fitness.
Photo by Denis Boisvert
Let me explain all about feel good fitness
Think about cavemen/cavewomen and how everything was brand new to them; every activity was a discovery! What an exciting time to be alive!
I imagine them discovering stretching for the first time; waking up in the morning and just intuitively reaching their arms up to the sky, opening up their chests, and getting a little *snap* *crackle* *pop* in their spine. How life-changing of a discovery must that have been?
To realize that such a simple movement could make you feel instantly amazing.
Movement, stretching, and exercise; didn’t start because of how people looked, it started because it was a necessity, and it felt good. Fitness in its inception was never about our appearance. Somewhere along the way (ahem the 20th century) we decided we should work out in order to change how we look, but this is not what fitness is supposed to be about! Fitness is about health, function, and feeling good.
Humans began intentional exercise as a way to train for battle, and be ready at a moment’s notice. Later on as machines started to do everything for us, and the risk of launching into war was less prevalent, exercise became a way to stay in good health and have fun!
Gymnasiums became a source of comradery; a place for people to get together, bond, play, and hang out. Intentional exercise was initially something only men engaged in; however, in the 20th century we saw the rise of modern fitness, and the rise of the diet industry (ugh).
As the messaging towards fitness turned more towards weight loss and building muscle, exercise no longer felt as fun. The focus was on what we looked like which, as studies have shown, has had severe effects on our mental well-being. We started to value ourselves on our outer appearance instead of our soul and who we were as people.
Maintaining health and fitness became more of a chore; something we dreaded because it meant coming face to face with all the things we hate about our bodies.
It meant identifying what needed to be fixed, changed, toned, and tightened. It taught us that we weren’t good enough.
There was a shift from “health related fitness” to “beauty related fitness”.
Now it’s time for FEEL GOOD health and fitness! How do we do that? Easy. Don’t think about what you look like, but focus on how moving makes you feel.
With every bicep curl, squat, and crunch, think about how great it feels to get stronger.
With every warrior pose, downward dog, and tree pose, think about how amazing it feels to get better balance and stability.
With every merengue 3-step, bachata 2-step, and beto shuffle, think about how GLORIOUS it feels to move to the beat of the music!
This, my friends, is how you enjoy fitness and start to feel empowered in your body
. You are in control! Shift your focus from how you look, to how moving makes you feel. And indulge in movement that is good for your mind, body, and soul.
You deserve it.
xo
Jenni – Rise with Resilience™
P.S. Did you catch my article about body positivity vs body neutrality? Click here to check it out.