An Intro to Intuitive Movement
BY GABRIELA STEPHENS
Intuitive Movement
Intuitive movement is not following a specific workout schedule from week to week. It’s changing your workouts according to how your body feels. In fact, I used to be someone who had a specific schedule for the gym (Mon. legs, Tues. back, Wed. abs, etc.) I thrive on structure but over structuring my workouts led me to feelings of disappointment and frustration when I strayed from the plan. It wasn’t until recently that I started doing intuitive movement instead of a set workout schedule. As women, we live according to our monthly cycles. Our energy and moods change according to our different phases. A wonderful resource I have been learning from about this topic is Maddie Miles, a hormone health expert.
Why I love moving my body instinctively
Intuitive movement for me means waking up, listening to how my body feels in terms of soreness or energy, and choosing a type of workout from there. This isn’t stressful because of the vast amount of workouts that I have to choose from on a workout platform. Read about a workout I have tried here. YouTube is a great place to find endless amounts of various workouts if you aren’t using a program. Listening to your body is about honoring how it’s feeling and accepting that. Beginners may not know their limits, so it is more beneficial to try out a workout program that accounts for this.
How you can implement it into your life
I may go to bed thinking when I wake up; I will do a HIIT workout and sweat a ton. In actuality, I wake up with low energy and choose yoga to honor that. Speaking to yourself in a kind manner and showing your body respect by listening to it deepens your relationship with fitness and yourself. You should never compare what you are doing to someone else. They could be working out for ten years, accommodating an injury, or just getting started. As long as you show up for yourself, challenging yourself while also giving your body grace, you will improve and see the benefits of moving your body in ways that feel good.
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