Transforming Perspective: How One Client's view of Exercise Changed

Moving AWAY from the old school, North American view of "exercise", "workouts" and everything else associated with it, to a holistic perspective and understanding that exercise and movement does WAY more for our physiology than just the physical is...

Empowering

Freeing

Motivating

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Here in North America we only know this over-marketed aspect of "health" and that stereotypical approach to our movement. It's incredibly easy to be mislead and overlook WHY we need to move our body and HOW to approach it in a sustainable and healthy way. Strength Coach, Pavel Tsatsouline shares that over in Europe, that's NOT the case. They don't use the terms like "exercise" and "workouts" like we do. They use words like practice, training, and preparation.

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A Transformation in Perspective

A while back, a client came in without her bestie (now she's knows this about her 😉) and said something powerful. She said;

"You know life has changed, when you come to exercise for decompression"

I should mention, this perspective didn't happen overnight. It took time, patience, and consistent effort/action. It also wasn't really something she was "aiming for". It's a positive side effect of not only her health practices and openness to new ways of thinking, but also the conversations surrounding her health habits.

This perspective is WAY more powerful than we realize! Think about it - MOST of us STILL continue to think of exercise and/or make our exercise each week to feel like a CHORE. It's just "one more thing on my list to do" kind of approach. What if it was approached with a REFRESHING understanding? Coming at movement and exercise from a HOLISTIC approach and learning all the benefits beyond the physical that it brings to our system, is a game-changer in your health practices and the consistency of them.

We WAY over-simplify our INCREDIBLY DEEP and AMAZING PHYSIOLOGY.

I've talked about this before and use Precision Nutrition's Deep Health Model in ALL my coaching, because it reminds us that humans are COMPLEX. There's WAY MORE to our health and wellbeing than physical exercise and nutrition.

ALL 6-dimensions of human health are CONNECTED. They postively or negatively impact each other. This means, when we move our bodies we have a great impact on the 5 other dimensions of human health, as my client eluded to.

THINK about how POWERFUL that understanding is in your health and lifestyle goals!?!?

Dr Greg Wells is just one highly regarded mind in our industry who reminds us that there are benefits BEYOND the physical of moving our bodies. Again, it means RE-LEARNING trust and care in our own individual physiology, while eliminating the BULLSHIT! 💩

RE-VAMP how you approach your HEALTH and MOVEMENT

MOST of us in our society exercise and move because "we're supposed to", we want to lose weight as the primary focus, or "I have to do it a certain way" mentality. But what if our daily movement and exercise was approached from a more freeing perspective? From a place of WANTING to do it vs "should" or "have to" do it.

As human beings MOVEMENT is an ESSENTIAL element to our health and wellbeing. Period. However, that doesn't mean it has to make us feel "bad" or make us feel like we "have to do choose a certain way of doing it". In today's modern world, we have a the luxury of CHOICE and SO many OPTIONS for moving our bodies. Why choose something that makes you dread it, loathe it or want to avoid it???

Part of this much NEEDED perspective shift is the idea that we ONLY approach exercise and activity with a physical lens. As my client mentioned, it can also create a mental/emotional TOOL and means of DECOMPRESSING after a long day. It can also do things like...

🚶Increase mental clarity and focus

🚶Improve creativity

🚶Improve our sleep

🚶Promote emotional wellbeing through ENJOYMENT, laughter, hobbies and conversations

🚶Promotes social health when done in a group / with others

🚶Promotes the sense of community (even if you do activity alone) because it promotes conversations and connection with like minded people

🚶Increases self-confidence and resilience

... the list is long!

Our go to however are things like weight loss, building muscle, "getting fit" ... These aren't bad things by any means, but we only see THESE outcomes as the result of moving our body regularly despite the REALITY being much deeper than that!

Use Exercise and Daily Movement as a TOOL for all things HEALTH!

I've discussed here before about how strength training is a tool for us everyday folks. It's NOT the be-all-and-end-all, and there's no trophy or medal (unless you're a powerlifter or something). For the common person like you and I, exercise is a TOOL at our disposal to ENHANCE our days and wellbeing. It is NOT something to despise. If you DO despise it, I strongly argue that your CHOICE of activity/exercise and/or your approach needs improvement.

Use exercise as a means of ...

Feeling motivated.

Feeling grounded.

Feeling proud of yourself.

Feeling a weight lifted off your shoulders (no pun intended - I'm eluding to life's stressors)

Feeling inspired to create, try something new, explore etc.

Feeling a daily energy boost and desire to LIVE LIFE the way YOU want.

Exercise is a means of LETTING GO when we approach it in OUR OWN WAY, combined with time, patience and action.