HISTORY WITH MOVEMENT Make your way through this list to check off potential trauma/triggers around movement and physical fitness. This is to help bring awareness to those events & to acknowledge those feelings. This list is by no means exhaustive, feel free to add any at the bottom that apply to you. CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE ☐ Forced to participate in a sport/activity you did not like. ☐ PE classes performed assessments & assigned grades to your fitness level. ☐ PE classes performed assessments of your body. ☐ Parents/guardians/other authority figure used exercise as a form of punishment. ☐ Peers and/or adults ridiculed your ability to perform an activity you were new to. ☐ Serious injury during exercise/physical activity. ☐ Gender dysphoria around how your body feels when it moves. ☐ Disability was denied, not accounted for or ruled you out of activity with your peers. ☐ Burnout with a specific sport. ☐ Pressure to perform at a certain standard with fitness/sport. ☐ Your body type made you negatively stand out during physical activity. ☐ Had a serious injury during exercise/physical activity. ☐ Other: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ADULTHOOD ☐ Eating disorder triggered with movement. ☐ Serious injury during exercise/physical activity. ☐ Your body type made you negatively stand out during physical activity. ☐ Gender dysphoria around how your body feels when it moves. ☐ Ridiculed for your ability to perform an activity you were new to. ☐ Disability was denied, not accounted for or ruled you out of activity. ☐ Chronic pain/illness. ☐ Chronic fatigue. ☐ Depression/anxiety/ADHD/Autism/other mental health disorder ☐ Financial instability ☐ Caregiver status ☐ Pressure to perform at a certain standard with fitness/sport. ☐ Other: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Exploring movement Take time to make notes (positive or negative) around all types of movements. This can allow you to better understand what you want to do vs. the notion of what you “should” be doing. Running/jogging Walking (indoor or outdoor) Hiking Weightlifting (free weights, machines, bands) Calisthenics (body weight exercise) Team sports Dancing Swimming Biking Group exercise Solo exercise Yoga/stretching Other MAKING MOVEMENT JOYFUL This outline is designed to help as a guide in repairing your relationship with fitness. Follow it in a way that suits you. EARLY STAGES (FIRST 3 MONTHS) • Give yourself time to figure out what activities you truly enjoy. • Set realistic goals for how often (how many times per week & how long?). • Decide whether the goal is to move or to improve. Both are valid & it can shift regularly. • Strongly discourage tracking your exercise. • Be willing to allocate funds & time for these activities – it is self-care. • Recognize your triggers around exercise - knowing these can keep you from falling into old patterns. • Go slow. You’re new at this! • Let go of social media accounts that push ideas you are trying to let go. o Yes, even if they’re friends or family. Mute/delete is powerful. BUILDING • Ask yourself: o How am I feeling with movement? o Are there any unhealthy/unhelpful thoughts? How am I managing them? ▪ Ex: body size, ability, performance, appearance, external judgement/validation o Has the amount of movement you’re doing increased, decreased or stayed the same? o Has your goal of move or improve served you? Is it time to change? o Have I encountered a trigger? If so, how did I handle it? If not, how would I? HURDLES & BARRIERS • Injury: it’s bound to happen & has happened to ALL of us, so don’t beat yourself up. Rest, recover. See a physician if necessary and follow their protocol. Otherwise, most injuries heal in a few weeks. When you feel better, start back as though you’re new to movement: slow and steady. • Mental health: so common. Treat it like an injury. Rest & recover. Movement can help break up or shorten these periods, can you make the goal to move vs. improve? Can you do something gentle (bed stretches, short walk)? Can you find a friend to do it with you? If the answer is NO, rest is good. • Affordability: if your favorite form of fitness is not attainable at this time because of finances, you have options. One: maybe it’s okay for it to take a backseat. Your basic needs should be met first and foremost before worrying about activity level. Two: if you feel antsy, walks/jogs & free content online is perfect for now. • Triggers: They are inevitable, but not insurmountable. By now you’ve hopefully identified most of your triggers with exercise. When they happen: observe, feel, cope, heal. MAINTENANCE – KEEPING IT A HABIT • Keep things interesting: try new forms of movement, invite friends/family along • Treat yourself! Seriously. New workout clothes, new equipment, personal training sessions or classes on something you really enjoy. This creates positive associations with movement. • Honoring life’s ebb & flow. You will hit hurdles and barriers, and you will get back up again. Learn to accept this and enjoy (or at least accept) the down time, too. • Continue revisiting move vs. improve: o If you really enjoy a specific activity, switching to “improve” fires up different brain engines. o If you find yourself stuck with a specific activity, switching to “move” lowers pressure we put on ourselves to perform. • You must eat! Movement is putting energy out, make sure you put energy in. o Eat a variety of foods. o Honor cravings when they arise. o Drink fluids throughout the day. • You must sleep! If your energy is low, maintaining regular exercise is near impossible: o Aim for at least 6hr every night. o Dark, cool rooms are ideal, but you know yourself best. o Limit your screen time around bed. o Try to go to bed around the same time every night. NOTES: _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Follow me on social media: @thejockscientist @thejockscientist @mallowree
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