How to Transform Your Relationship with Exercise
For many women, physical activity feels daunting and unappealing. Factors including, mobility issues, finding sportswear that fits, joint pain, feelings of shame, and negative childhood experiences can make the idea of physical activity feel like a huge challenge. Is this something you struggle with?
For others, exercise becomes an unhealthy obsession where they feel compelled to run, spin or work out at the gym regardless of exhaustion, illness or injury. Perhaps you use exercise to justify eating, or restrict food intake unless you've exercised?
Whatever your unhappy relationship with exercise looks like, it is helpful to shift your perspective. Instead of focusing on exercise in order to change your body size, there is another approach. Direct your attention to joyful activities that make both your brain and your body feel good: This could be as simple as:
· Dancing to your favourite song in your kitchen
· Taking walks in a green space
· Gardening
· Activities like yoga, or Pilates which encourage mindfulness, allowing you to be present and focus on how your body feels.
If you do enjoy higher intensity exercise, fill your boots (or trainers 😊)! But consider if you are truly doing it to nourish or punish your body. Its worth noting that strenuous exercise can increase your stress hormones, which is counterproductive to your overall well-being and incidentally to shifting body weight as well.
Regular joyful movement can significantly boost your self-esteem and body image, help you effectively manage stress, and improve your sleep patterns. Consider it as a powerful tool to enhance your overall quality of life, rather than using exercise compulsively to punish your body or trying to force it to shrink. By shifting your mindset to focus on enjoyable, mindful movement, you're more likely to feel better about yourself and your body, reducing the likelihood of engaging in destructive eating behaviours.
I explore this and much more in my upcoming book, which will be out in the autumn and has been specifically written for those who are struggling with binge and emotional eating.
But in the meantime, if you would like to start creating change in your life now, download my FREE guide Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with Food to kickstart your journey today