I have lately observed that there are certain times when my exercise rhythm is off or non-existent, and when I get so caught up in the ‘busyness’ of my day and the many things that I feel I’m responsible for or that need completing (ie. work, family etc.), that my exercise routine seems to be one of the first things that gets neglected.
I noticed that the busier I was, the more I was neglecting my exercise rhythm and routine… and the longer the gaps were between exercising. To add to this, I was also feeling more tired – which seemed to exacerbate the desire to even do any exercise in the first place, even if I did have time!
I was recently offered the opportunity to join a 4 week online exercise program offered by Danielle Pirera (Re-Connect Exercise), and even though I’ve enjoyed attending these classes in the past, my first response was “I haven’t got time!” There was no pressure to commit either way, however I was presented with the possibility that the exercise classes would actually be an opportunity to support me with everything else I was doing. I could feel that deep down this was absolutely true and that neglecting my exercise rhythm was neither feeling right nor supporting me in my day, so it became an easy choice to join the online program and make a specific commitment to completing one 45 min exercise group class each week.
What I have found most supportive is that the exercise program is presented in a way that encourages connection with my body – feeling how I want to exercise on each particular day – which I’ve found varies from week to week.
The exercise program has not been about doing the exercises a certain way, at a certain pace or level of intensity or how many reps or even doing the exercise the same way as Danielle, the presenter. In fact I’ve felt encouraged to simply feel my body moving, and to feel what’s right in every exercise. Led by example, the focus has not been on the technique of the exercise, but simply staying connected to my body and the quality of the movements.
In this, I’m learning more and more that exercise is not about what I do or how many or for how long, but ‘how’ I do it. And the other thing I’m learning is to not make my exercise routine so serious (!) …. to keep it light and playful.
With each exercise group I’ve felt how important it is to do what feels right for me in that particular session. By being encouraged to focus on this and committing to the exercise group every week, I’ve also found that my exercise rhythm outside of the classes is much more accessible and realistic. For example, if I had felt pressured or an expectation that I had to do ½ hour’s exercise every day, I would probably consider skipping exercise altogether! However for me, committing to 10-15 minutes, 2 times a week is something that is manageable and a great place for me to start.
This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.
I have found these exercise groups provide a true inspiration of a connected way of exercising, supported by the fact that they are taught by example. For example, it’s not uncommon for Danielle to express that her body feels a bit stiff and sore on that particular day and that she is going to move a little slower or not stretch so high, while at the same time providing support and suggestions for others to move faster or make their movements larger if that’s what they feel in their body.
In moments like these, I am being offered the opportunity and inspiration to honour my own body in exactly the same way, whether it’s to take the exercise more gently or increase to an intensity I feel is right for me. Exercising this way is a totally different way of exercising than I have ever experienced before. To have a fitness trainer teach and present this way – in a way that honours her own body – is not only unheard of, but is deeply inspiring as a true way to exercise.
I am still establishing the depth of the connection with my body, but am now starting to feel more of a quality and presence in my exercise routine and exercise rhythm.
With each exercise class I am learning how important it is to honour what I feel in my body, and not to exercise according to a set structure, technique or time frame or with an outcome of achieving a set result.
As I commit to my exercise rhythm I am experiencing more and more how this supports me in all of the other things I need to do in a day. I have more energy and am feeling less tired, supported by my exercise routine that is teaching me to connect to my body and be more present with Me.
By Angela Perin, aged 48, Brisbane
567 Comments
Feeling the importance of warming up before exercising – I did some exercises yesterday without enough warm up and feeling it in my body this morning. It’s great the way our body just won’t let us get away with it, it continually asks to ‘listen, note and take care’ even if we only hear it after the event! Thank you body, lesson learned.
I felt the potential in your words “To have a fitness trainer teach and present this way – in a way that honours her own body – is not only unheard of, but is deeply inspiring as a true way to exercise.” So often a fitness trainer can push a client beyond what is healthy or supportive for their bodies, with the aim of results. It would be deeply inspiring to take part in a class where the fitness trainer honours her own body as she does others.
your opening paragraphs are me right now! Putting exercise – so me in essence- to the bottom of the list of everything else that is more important and needs doing “NOW”. But at what cost?? I feel so much stronger and more confident and vital when I regularly walk, do cardio a few times a week, that is crazy to let that slip. It is simply revealing another layer of not honouring what is true and overriding for all sorts of reasons, recognition, stress, tension, but ultimately everyone loses out when we don’t look after ourselves. Great to read this and be jolted back to what is important for my body, me honouring me.
So easy to get caught up with the ” no time ” excuses.
The ‘commitment’ to celebrate and be present in our body is a gift we can give ourselves.
I have also taken part in a 4 week online exercise program offered by Danielle Pirera (Re-Connect Exercise). It was during the lead up to Christmas which is the busiest time for the company I work for, and I was so appreciative that I committed to 2, 45 minutes sessions per week, because it really supported me through what is generally a stressful and overwhelming time. The sessions were early in the morning and I often felt quite tired, on one occasion so tired I didn’t want to do it. However, I did do the session, but took it very gently, allowing my body to move very carefully, being very aware of how it felt and responding to that. It actually made me feel a whole lot better, I wasn’t forcing the moves, I used light weights and did some moves with out weights. Honouring how my body felt in this way was a huge support and left me feeling much lighter, less tired, and quite amazed at the ease with how my body moves when I’m connected in this way. This program really showed me how to decide for myself how to exercise and how it can leave me feeling more vital and support every other aspect of my day, it was a fantastic foundation.
The simple benefits of taking care of ourselves, developing a rhythm that supports all our daily commitments and activities, so simply and sweetly shared. Thank you.
My favourite kind of exercise is to walk in nature, so often my exercise slips in the winter with the short days and the weather. I have been looking at ways of supporting my body during these months – there is lots of inspiration on this thread, thank you.
Angela, your blog is most inspiring. I had the joy of similar experiences with Danielle Pirera’s exercise program and I enjoy the lightness of it. Your commitment of 15 minutes twice a week is gorgeous as it takes out the push, overloading and seriousness of exercising. Like you say exercising on a continuous level is great to reconnect to one’s body when we listen to what our body needs in that moment.
it is really inspiring !
I love what you share about ‘How you do it’ and that exercising is not about how long and what you do. For a long time i have been very tough and strict on myself regarding exercise. I always pushed myself and was very much on the clock so to speak. ‘I have to swim for at least….’ or ‘i have to do run at least..”’. It felt like a failure if i didn’t do sports for a certain amount of time or in a certain way. I never really listened to my body, it was just my mind instructing me what to do. Listening to my body has now become, over the years, my main focus. If my body needs a rest, wants to take it a bit easier (for instance when i have my period), i pay attention to all those signals.
I never ceased to be amazed by how much strength and clarity exercise can bring to my day. For me it would be nothing more than a trick of the mind that would say I don’t have enough time, because exercising always makes the days go more smoothly and tasks are handled more effortlessly.
You make doing exercise fun, light and simple, so different from that it is a ‘should’ or a ‘i have to’ which is very common in society. Your words inspire me, thank you!
I love my daily walk, I like to walk twice a day if I can. But I can sometimes talk myself out of it and I feel worse when I don’t go. So it is important for me to not listen to the unhelpful voice advising me “not to go”, when my body clearly feels better when I do.
As a teenager, I find it is amazing that a 48 year old woman is finding exercise fun and playful, as normally it is serious or for medical reasons.
Thank you Angela for you beautiful sharing on exercise and its importance and espcially the care and gentleness and honouring of it for oneself as the key. This is transformational as to how exercise is portrayed to be as a hard, punishing the more the better to put oneself through and push through however you feel way.
I have been realising that simple loving choices for my body maybe walking ,swimming or gym depending how I feel and what is happening that day is enough with the energy and how i do it.
I always begin my day with gentle movements before I get up and this allows a connection with my body and time for it to release and move slowly and i find this rhythm very supportive for my body and my wellbeing.
There is something in this approach with exercise when I read all these comments where everyone has noticed how supportive it is for them. I too have broken the thought that it needed to be in a gym or in a class where I need to spend a lot if time doing it – I Love doing my exercise daily and feeling what I need to do on the day.
I love re-reading your blog as it reminds me to feel how I am moving my body in all I do, especially exercise. So, not as a chore or as something to tick off my daily tick list, but a great opportunity to really be with myself and feel what’s going on for my body and how it wants to move.
I love this Karin, “to feel how I am moving my body in all I do, especially exercise. So, not as a chore or as something to tick off my daily tick list, but a great opportunity to really be with myself ” . It is true, I know I used to push my body and train really hard, and exercise was not a joyful and loving opportunity to connect and be with myself, but more a challenge as in how hard and how far can I push my body – I had something to prove and if I’m super honest it was all about recognition and achievement and I would exercise as I had to, tick the box, freak out if not …. very controlling. But now I so love feeling my body when I move and exercise and the fun and absolute joy I feel in that, I don’t ever leave the gym exhausted but feeling amazing and so connected to my body.
Having been exercising with Danielle Pirera for a few months I am now at a point where it is about listening to my body and accepting that, having some fun moving and trusting how my body wants to move. This has given me confidence to just be me in all aspects of my life.
Thanks, Angela. I love what you say about keeping exercise light and playful. Certainly I would not have called it that in the past, but now I can actually enjoy exercise by making sure to not put any undue strain on my body, even when I get my heart rate going.
Good point Angela about keeping our exercise light and playful. It is so easy to become serious and heavy about exercise and it can become a chore. It’s possible to have fun with it and simply use it as another way to stay connected with our bodies.
My daily relationship with exercise is always a great point of reflection as to how things are more generally. If I am cutting corners with my exercise I am usually slipping into a pattern of de-valuing myself (knock on lack of appreciation for everything). How gorgeous is life that gives us the next moment to choose differently and call the changes again and again and again.
Definitely agree Matilda. My commitment to exercise is a great reflection of my commitment to life; there are days when I skip my morning routine and the day can then become very lazy… But something I always have to ponder on, is what came first? Laziness or no exercise? Was I already in a momentum of being tired, lethargic and shut down before I went to do the exercise? Amazing how much deeper you can look than just, ‘I skipped exercise this morning because I didn’t have time’.
Such a great point here Susie! I also experience this on the opposite end of the scale as in being ‘too busy’ to exercise and how this can also be a great reflection of how I am in life and how my day feels. I find on the days where I have ‘intention’ to exercise and then skip it because I get caught up in what I’m doing, and then don’t have time to exercise (or at least that’s the excuse!), I can end up feeling resentful that I didn’t set aside this time for ‘me’, and my day generally does not feel the same as when I stick to this commitment regardless of what I have going on for the day. Ultimately, exercise and the quality in which we exercise, offers a great reflection of our commitment to ourselves and to life.
What a great choice it was to visit this blog. I have been going through one of those periods that many activities muscle in and items like exercise can get ignored. It is easy to let the energy take you into complacency and sometimes a little or a big nudge is useful. Reading your blog has inspired me to pay more attention to that area again. Thank you.
As I return to this article, I agree Fiona, as I can really understand what Angela says too about its not what I do or how many or how long but ‘how’ I do it. My head will come in and say ‘I have things to do’ but now my body communicates ‘how about me?’ I can’t do anything if I don’t care for my body and now realise how low it was on the list. This has changed with more awareness of the importance of doing things that support my body, so that I have the energy I need to get things done! Inspirational article Angela.
It is so easy to get up and get on with the ‘doing’ for the day, especially if we are doing it for others, we feel we are being productive. Making a commitment to doing something for ourselves, such as gentle exercises, can feel more challenging and yet, when we do, it helps us to connect within and then the service we offer others is true.
Totally agree Carmel. Isn’t it strange how we find it easy to be motivated to help others but when it comes to ourselves we need a bit more persuading. Taking that first step in making that commitment to ourselves is the hardest one, but once that step has been taken and you start to build on that commitment, it becomes a routine, a rhythm that is now a daily part of you and one that you don’t want to miss.
Thank you Carmel and Tim for prompting me to review my levels of motivation when supporting someone else compared with supporting me.
Thanks for these comments, they reminded me of the real purpose of the exercise in the first place and that is commitment to self. Its far too easy for me to put self aside and rush off to do something, putting the exercise aside at the expense of myself.
Well said Carmel.
Commitment is what feels to be the challenge.
But once we build it into part of our daily routine in such a way that it supports us, then it should feel like a flow and an almost natural action that we do.
That for me has been so supportive and I’ve loved decreasing the intensity but increasing the commitment!
I detected that exercising regularly is fun as it builds strength in the body and I feel more vital.
I’m discovering this too kerstin. For many years previously, exercise for me generally felt like a ‘have to’ and / or because I thought it was good for me, regardless of how my body actually felt doing it, and so there was a drive and push behind it. Although I sometimes still go into this drive, I’m much more aware of it, and overall I’m finding that exercise can be playful and fun, especially when I don’t approach it with an expected outcome in mind, but just allow myself to feel what supports my body.
So true what you have expressed Carmel if we commit to doing something that supports and honors ourselves which helps our connection within, then the service we offer others is true.
This is so true Carmel, reading this makes me aware that I can feel more committed to others than myself and that ‘Making a commitment to doing something for ourselves, such as gentle exercises, can feel more challenging and yet, when we do, it helps us to connect within and then the service we offer others is true.’ A very timely reminder, thank you.
Things got a bit hectic the last couple of weeks for various reasons so let the exercise slip, oh well no biggie, time to start afresh and get back into it.
Had my first session back with ‘Re-Connect Exercise’ yesterday after a two week break as I was solo dad for two weeks and let the exercise slip because I had extra things to do. Although I have a physical job and exercise all day anyway, during the class I could feel how my body felt stiff in places and it made me realise the importance of keeping up with regular supportive exercise or at a minimum the stretching.
Love this comment Kevin, a leaf I’ll be borrowing from your book, there is indeed no point in throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as they say.
I have been coming to a realisation and mental shift when it comes to my approach to exercise. I always saw it as all or nothing. Either exercise every day or don’t bother. Slowly I have realised my inability to commit consistently to everyday exercise is because I’m not pacing myself and building myself up. It’s not that I’m not fit, but that I need to allow myself the time and space to find my own way to exercise. So now I have just committed to exercising a few times a week – signing up to a local circuit training class, and going swimming a few evenings a week. And in the new year working up to some one on one sessions. Suddenly exercise feels easy and not a struggle or a burden, and is no longer a area I can use to critic myself, but instead is an area, like all areas, that is a work in progress.
This is a beautiful highlight, Rebecca. How a simple shift in the way we approach something can change everything. The power of the detail to impact the all. Thank you.
I agree Rebecca! I’ve wanted the results and improvement all at once but as you said once you give yourself the space to truly exercise in a way that is supportive and gentle of yourself then it becomes a truly rewarding experience when you can commit to yourself and the fun you can have at the same time (I love to swim also).
Thanks, Rebecca, for this great comment. Any mental ideas about exercise and what my body ‘should’ be able to do have in the past left me feeling very discouraged. I was never fit enough, strong enough, nor did I ever have enough energy. There was a lot of judgement placed on my body for being inadequate in terms of what I wanted it to be able to do, and I felt I had to push it to make it ‘perform better’. I can see now that I was being unloving towards myself and my body, and by shifting this a whole new approach to fitness has emerged which is building steadily.
When we make exercise a burden it feels like a burden and we can easily resent it – as you say Rebecca the ‘all or nothing mentality’ defeats us immediately. But when we allow exercise to support and build our connection to our body it feels like we can make it a much more achievable part of our everyday, not to mention far more enjoyable.
I found your blog really inspiring, Angela. I am very prone to find an excuse to not do exercise – I have resisted the ‘drive’ that I feel in exercise to a point that is not supporting my body. I love the way you have presented Danielle’s exercise class – it feels so respect-full of the body and the participants, and allows the body to lead the way. I feel that I can commit to two 15 minute sessions a week – that feels manageable and will support me to build a pattern of exercise as a regular part of my life that will be ongoing.
Great perspective Susan, I love that instead of the all or nothing it’s being honest about what is manageable and supportive and starting to build from there. Exercise for me is a work in progress but by having a different relationship with it I can see that changing to be much more supportive and realistic.
‘I feel that I can commit to two 15 minute sessions a week – that feels manageable and will support me to build a pattern of exercise as a regular part of my life that will be ongoing.’ I feel the same Susan, I have really let my exercise routine slip the last couple of months, making excuses like having builders here and not having time, but 15 minutes a couple of times of week is definitely manageable.
Good point Rebecca, find a level that is manageable and start supporting your body with that. The way my body feels when I neglect the exercise compared to how open it feels when I make the commitment is really there to show me the commitment is worth it.
Hi Angela, I can so much identify with: ‘ I was also feeling more tired – which seemed to exacerbate the desire to even do any exercise in the first place, even if I did have time!’. I can feel as you pointed out how committing to exercise does support you and your body to do every thing else you have to do. And to commit to what you feel is manageable for you, (and not push it) eg 10-15 mins, twice a week , feels also like a good place for me to start! Thank you for this timely inspiration.
I agree, start small and go from there
I started exercising and I really enjoyed it, just moving around in my lounge with a couple of tins of tomatoes.
Hi Natalie, your comment did make me chuckle I have visions of you and two tins of tomatoes rolling around exercising! Funnily enough I use a couple of tins of tomatoes when my shoulders are feeling like they need a little exercise and they really help!
Ha, I love this Natalie, it sounds fun – just how exercising should be.
I have been appreciating at a deeper level recently, that swimming is such an amazing opportunity to be with myself, my breath and each movement I make. And it shows me every moment that I lose presence and connection. So, as Matilda beautifully describes above, exercise is becoming an opportunity ‘to know me better’, with the added benefits of strengthening the body at the same time.
I really get what you say about exercise being the last thing you want to implement because life feels busy enough, but that actually exercise can help the tiredness and the busyness be more manageable. I used to swim a lot and haven’t been for ages – your blog has given me more incentive to get back in the pool.
How fantastic that you have an exercise instructor that honours how they feel themselves and she is not pushing through hard to show the class a way. Having worked in the leisure industry for 15 years I can say how rare that is. It is a great way to lead by example as in an exercise class we are far more likely to over-do it than under-do it and this is going to be far more effective in the long run when we listen to what our bodies tell us is enough.
It is true what you say Stephen and was my experience, ‘we are far more likely to over-do it’ than under do it when exercising which defeats the purpose of exercise in the first place which is to give your body more energy, not deplete it by over doing it. And as you point out, what the body appreciates is when you listen to what your body needs and to stop when it is enough.
Thank you Angela for sharing so beautifully about the importance of your regular exercise routine in gentleness and its importance to you.
I also feel the benefits and have made changes and this is constantly evolving ,feels very loving and joyful and a great change from feeling it has to be hard and is now part of my commitment to myself which changes everything and allows me to feel what feels right each day for me.
Thankyou Angela for sharing .
It is amazing how exercise is an area of life many people either go all out or nothing at all. It’s great to read a story that shows commitment to life and exercise, whilst also not losing yourself to the idea that hours of high intensity is what is needed. Thank you for sharing Angela.
Since first reading this blog something sweet and miraculous has happened. I am brushing away the last vestiges of exercise being a chore with an outcome and am enjoying the moment by moment invitations, when I exercise, to know me better.
Thank you for your blog, Angela. I especially connected with this: “This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.”
This connection is such an important part of exercise (and life in general) that I have found gets ignored more often than not in most exercise training and routines. The attitude of ‘pushing through’, ‘feel the burn’, and ‘just one more’ really are saying ‘ignore what your body is telling you’. I have also done classes with Danielle and it is amazing to let my body tell me how much exercise I am going to do today, instead of seeing my body as something I must overcome to achieve a result.
Well said Naren. Yesterday I joined an exercise class where the focus was on short amounts of a variety of exercises, and with each one I could choose which size weight to use, how fast or slow my body wanted to go and how much it needed to pause in between each movement. As a group we did two circuits of the routine and I could already notice a huge improvement in how my body performed the second time round, yet everything had been done gently and for a very short time. The ‘no pain no gain’ attitude that I used to foster certainly got disproved yesterday and has shown me a completely new way to work with my body not against it. Gentle is definitely the way forward from now on.
Great blog Angela. I have also experienced the going to the gym and doing what my body feels right to do that day. In the past, it was you must do so many reps and push yourself. The gym for most of my life was just some guy’s name and a class in school I hated. A few years ago I tried the Lets Get Fit thing at the gym. I lost some weight and hardened up. That kind of drifted away with other things occupying my time. Now when I don’t do the gym I do my own little workout at home. Now when I exercise wherever it is, I do what my body wants to do.
What a great, insightful blog that’s helping me appreciate how I can listen to my body when it comes to exercise – especially around consistency and the quality of my movements. I sometimes exercise but do it in a forced way rather than listen to my body and move gently in a rhythm that supports me. I find when I do do this I may even exercise for longer but I am not exhausted afterwards as I’ve not pushed myself in a quality that actually works against me.
That’s a good point , Karin. When we bring a force into the way we exercise we are actually harming the body rather than bringing any benefit to it so we are, as you say, really going against ourselves.
Actually it wasn’t until I started more of a cardio type exercising again that I was reminded how much I love to move in this way – and how much my body loves to move. Often I can spend a lot of my working day at my desk and so this type of exercise feels really supportive.
Fabulous Angela, thank you for sharing how important it is to not exercise according to a set structure but to instead honour what we feel in our bodies. Such a loving way to look after ourselves.
I have noticed that my commitment to exercise has developed and grown over time. I wanted something that would not take me too much time and that I could easily do regularly without compromising my plans for the day. So I started doing push ups, the first day I could not do more than a few push ups in a row which was fine and the same with sit ups, holding on to my leg in order to support my lower back area. I could as time went, increase this as my body naturally strengthened…. Today, four years later, I can see and feel the positive impact it has had on my body just by committing 5 to 10 mins everyday, feeling so much better and more energetic.
“It’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” A very inspiring blog Angela. I can also say that since taking out the ‘must do’ or ‘have to’ from my exercise routine, it been so easy to sustain. When I’ve made it about supporting my body and looking after myself, it does not feel like a chore. Some days I do 30 minutes, others I may only do 10 minutes. Making it about how I feel changes everything and I feel fitter now and more at ease in my body than when I used to teach aerobics.
I’ve also had the experience of staying with the exercise for longer than I might have planned – particularly on a walk or in the pool. Its a lovely feeling to be enjoying the exercise, and not be bound by time but do what you feel.
Great blog Angela, I’ve just started to exercise with a couple of other ladies, we have fun and what is gorgeous too is to be able to see and feel each one of us working to how our bodies feel. I find it lovely to watch another person honouring their movement in this way.
That’s incredible Rosanna, and you raise an important point – exercise can be JOYFUL and fun! It need not be a burden, or just another ‘thing’ you can tick off the to-do list, because exercise offers us a way of both connecting to our body and building a physical foundation so that during the day we feel supported and able to carry out any tasks with absolute ease – therefore how could it ever be a burden? I find that no matter how I am feeling – tired, lonely, depressed, sad – if I create space for exercise I feel 100% better and my body doesn’t feel so hard and stiff.
I enjoy exercise now, I never used to, I found it a bore, I didn’t like gyms, I didn’t like the competition, so many things I didn’t like about what I perceived exercise to symbolise. However, I always loved to walk and I still do but I I have incorporated, stretching, the gym and swimming into my life and it does feel great.
I haven’t taken part in Danielle’s exercise groups, but they sound great. I have developed my own program of exercise where I swim or work out at home with weights. I have had to commit to doing six mornings a week because If I allow myself it would be too easy to bunk off a morning here and there. It has made a huge impact on my energy levels and general body strength. I used to feel the heaviness of my legs when going up stairs but now it feels very different – a lot easier and enjoyable even!
Just as Jeanette shared I too am doing the twice a week reconnect exercise program with Danielle Pirera and I love it. I had a hate/love relationship with exercising, from young age I was told to be stiff and not capable of doing gymnastics exercises. So I never enjoyed it in any way. Growing older I learned to push myself to do all kinds of yoga postures and later on in the fitness club. Never really enjoyed it but wanted to have the perfect body (this was the name of the fitness club I joined as well). Now I start to enjoy feeling me moving my body, doing the exercise I feel to do and how I feel to do it. Now and then I start to push myself and feel how my body responds with ache and contraction. Feeling what my body is asking me is everything I have to listen to, to come back to honouring myself and my body
Beautiful words, Annelies – “Feeling what my body is asking me is everything I have to listen to”. It really can be as simple as that – thank you.
Lately my exercise routine has slacked and the rigid thought of ‘I must exercise every day’ or for a set amount of time just sucks all the joy and fun out of it. Thus I have avoided picking it back up because why would I want to do something that feels like a drain and effort to do? Reading this blog from the approach or angle of supporting connection and feeling worthy in myself to give myself that time sounds much less like a drain and more encouraging to re-turn to exercise. Thank you.
I agree Fiona and such a personal relationship that I find amazing once explored.
This is a great blog. It busts so many myths about exercise and offers great honouring of ourself and our body. I love what you have expressed. I feel inspired to deepen my commitment to supporting my body in a similar manner. Very inspiring.
Thank you Golnaz, beautyfull expressed.
I always enjoy myself and my day when I start it out with some gentle exercise, it always feels like I am deepening my commitment to caring for myself when I do.
I agree Michelle – even my walk in the morning or evening I consider part of connecting with me and my body. My body loves it.
Very inspiring thank you Angela the importance of true exercise ,rythmn and support for ourselves feels lovely to read.
I agree Fiona, the same has been for me as well, I have been seeing that with exercise is it about ‘how I do it’, that way my body benefits from the exercise. I find that I actually end up with more energy and feel more present and focused throughout the day when i have done some exercise in the morning.
I’ve loved reading your blog Angela. It really strikes a cord with me as I relate to a lot of what you say about exercise. For me it tends to be the last thing I want to put into what already feels like a full on day. Now and then I begin a routine but after a while it soon falls by the wayside as there always seems to be other more important things to do. I’m oh so great with the excuses! I can really feel in your writing how developing this rhythm for yourself has supported you in connecting to and feeling more of what your body has to say. It’s great to hear that exercise can be playful too, and to be reminded that it’s not what we do or how much, but the quality in which we do it. Very inspiring – thank you.
Angela, your words have inspired me to start a more consistent exercise routine as I feel like I have swung to the opposite side of the spectrum after letting go of all the competitive sports I used to be involved with. What I notice is that when I do exercise,
it really gives me more energy and I feel better mentally too, as I have a physical job and it does support me to do so. I love how you have listened to your body and not allowed yourself to be driven by things like duration, reps, or other external pressures. It feels so much more natural!
Yes, Michael, I find different types of exercise support my body depending on the day I have had. If I’ve been sitting at a desk all day, there is nothing better than going for some cardio exercise like a swim. But if I have been very active and feeling physically tired, a nice walk at the end of the day can be just right.
Hi Angela,
Many years I went to the fitness club twice a week and I really went for it! I wanted to have a strong body and a good looking body, so I used a lot of willpower in the exercises I did. Now I know it increased the hardness I had all ready in my body, by wanting to be a superwoman: career, family, spiritual work and sports. All by pushing through with coffee, smoking, the occasional alcohol etc. Since 5 years this pattern has changed. I started to actually feel what my body needed and slowly developed another way of exercising. I don’t push anymore and can actually enjoy more what I do.
I also did several courses with Danielle and can feel that my body gets stronger. I still work on exercising regularly, and yes better to do 10 minutes twice a week than nothing at all! I hardly go to sportclubs anymore, just doesn’t feel supportive for now..
Awesome Simone, I can totally agree, and say that when I was exercising for a type of body, it was never enough because I wasn’t doing it for me and my general health.
“This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” This is such a key point, once we’ve made the commitment to self then the pressure is off because you know you are doing something that supports you. Otherwise you are left constantly feeling a little worse for wear because you know you are abandoning yourself and it hurts. The excuses come but they never replace the feeling of truly honouring you.
This is a really great article busting the myths of how we have believed exercise to be.
Thank you Angela, I really enjoyed reading about the honouring of your body in how it feels each day, and to move and stretch in respect of this feeling, not to push through or override it.
Thank you for sharing Angela, I know exactly where you are coming from as I have found the same as you say: ‘I noticed that the busier I was, the more I was neglecting my exercise rhythm and routine’. It is a crazy trait we seem to carry that when things get busy we stop doing the things that most support us.
I agree James stopping something that can support us like exercise, because we are too busy does not make sense. I did this a few months ago and I noticed how much it affected not just my body but the rhythm of my day as I didn’t have the same focus that I did when I started my day with some stretches.
Exactly James, the more I delay or put off doing my exercises then I also feel the lack of support for my body in the day. To me I can feel the exact opposite is required, – the busier I am the more my body needs to stretch and exercise. Especially when I know the exercises are light and play-full as presented by Danielle Pirera. Thank you Angela great blog. As you suggest Angela !0 to 15 minutes is enough!
Thank you Angela for sharing this, I have been struggling with where to fit my exercise programme in to my day and I have realised I went the overwhelm of trying to do too much. Knowing that it is does not need to be done everyday or for any length of time takes the pressure off trying to fit my exercises in. After reading your blog I am going to start with just a few exercises and build from there so that they become a natural and enjoyable part of my rhythm.
Thank you, Angela a great sharing about exercise and one that breaks through ideas around exercise being about the end result e.g.. for a toned body, to loose weight, to be a certain shape etc. I find the days I go ‘I haven’t time’ are the days the support is more important and this is when I bring more attention to how I am exercising. And then once I have started, the time taken feels no big deal and my body can release and feels more energised.
So true, Julie. When I feel a bit off, exercise falls down the priority list very quickly, but if I am connected to myself and my body I can feel what it needs and simply respond to that.
It is great to see the different ways people go about exercise and how it really supports our daily rhythm, I am still finding my way with it, not doing too much or too little but really letting my body be honest about what it needs. The one thing I can say is that exercise is a very personal thing, that my relationship with my body can really support with.
Yes, I agree, Amina. It is great to give yourself permission to experiment with exercise and what your body enjoys, to banish all the mental ideas of what is supposed to be good for you.
Thank you Angela, I am currently doing a twice a week reconnect exercise programme with Danielle and you have fully expressed what I have been experiencing with this way of exercising. It is all about HOW you do not HOW INTENSE as Jessica says above. It is totally changing the way I exercise and the way I am with my body. Having never enjoyed the formal very prescribed exercise regimes I undertook in the past, in which I often forced myself to the point of hurting myself to keep up with others, this is revolutionary!
I am actually enjoying learning to exercise in a much more connected way, feeling what is going on in my body as I go and doing what I feel, often something totally different to Danielle which it is very amusing at times and playful, and I am amazed at how much my body has strengthened without the use of force or push to get it to that point. It actually feels gorgeous to be part of the group, each person expressing themselves through moving in their own beautiful and unique way, in their own timing, no competition, and also feeling the connection and support between us all. Re-connect exercise in many ways.
Thank you, Jeanette, it is great that you have brought up this point. When I have attended one of Danielle’s exercise classes, what I have always felt at the end is the joy of doing the class in my own way, and seeing everyone else do the same. It is so liberating and really good fun.
Angela I can very much relate to what you have written and have after about a year of letting my exercise get very sporadic, re-commited to allowing myself to enjoy my own movement through exercise. I love the way exercising can feel like a constant exploration and a flowing conversation, so apart from coming away from a session feeling great I’ve also just spent the best time simply being with me! You’re absolutely right when you say “is not about what I do or how many or for how long, but ‘how’ I do it”
That’s lovely, Rosanna, to come away from an exercise session feeling how lovely it was to spend time simply being with yourself. True exercise is a joyful confirmation that we are in a strong and supportive relationship with our body.
So true Rosanna and Janet, I totally agree. My relationship with exercise used to be under the belief of ‘feel the burn’ and ‘no gain without pain’. As a result I intensely hated exercise and avoided it at all costs. Today I love exercising as I have come to understand it is about a connection with myself first, funnily enough the results I get are far more powerful with no pain and all the gain. Thank you Danielle for supporting so many to connect to what truly loving exercise is.
That is so true Rosanna, the ‘how we do’ can be so delicious. I am really enjoying feeling my body when I exercise and working out gently really supports me to do that. I found gym work was basically designed to make my body hurt, and as I didn’t want to feel the pain, I would not stay with my body while I worked out. I suppose that what all the tellies and loud music are for, to help us distract ourselves from the pain we are causing ourselves it the name of health! In contrast I am finding that gentle, constant exercises enable me to stay with my body, enjoying how the stretching and moving feels and tenderly finding out where my body requires some support, instead of bullying it into submission!
A great article Angela and what you say sounds very familiar as I have noticed that exercise can be one of the first things to miss in a busy day but I have learned that it is the one thing that supports a busy day.
“I have more energy and am feeling less tired, supported by my exercise routine that is teaching me to connect to my body and be more present with Me.”
That sums it up beautifully, thank you.
Another great exposure of the madness of abandoning self when things get busy; particularly as I learn over and over again that the only thing that holds and supports me is to stay fully connected (actually deepen the connection) with myself and then go about my day.
I know that feeling well, ‘exercise can be one of the first things to miss in a busy day”. I’m learning to clock that ‘I’m too busy’ thought and reverse the psychology… using it as a reminder to get up, take a walk or do something active to make sure I stay in my body and don’t get too focussed on the busyness.
I know exactly what you mean that when we get busy, my exercise routine too goes straight out the door. An interesting scenario showing me that I put the world and ‘have to do’ before truly caring for myself.
Angela. Lovely blog. It is not always possible to do one’s daily exercise routines, due to other factors, that may hinder them. Even if you can find 10/15 mins just to do some form of keep fit, you are not deserting your routine totally.
Very true Mike. It is so easy to become rigid in our approach to exercise and give ourselves a hard time when we don’t manage to do what we ‘think’ we should be doing. It’s great to have an exercise rhythm, but we also have a rhythm to our lives of which exercise is only a part. Yes even 10/15 mins of exercise if nothing else is possible is still honouring ourselves.
I’m so inspired to start exercising, I can feel my body sighing with relief.
great reminder, that it is not what we do, but how we do it. I love to move my body and I have always known if I can stay out of my head, everything flows easier. I am working on bringing this flow into other parts of my life. Thank you Universal Medicine for supporting me in my life, and helping me remember all I have forgotten.
Super interesting Susan, you would think that if you exercise you would feel more tired, and if you don’t exercise you would feel less tired – but in fact in my experience and as you have explained, it is the other way around!
That has also been my experience Jessica. When I make time for even a 10 minute session of exercise it gets my blood circulating and I feel more energized. I notice how by starting my day in this way actually makes my whole day flow with more ease.
I agree Debra, I love starting my day with even a small workout, it really supports me keeping a relationship with my body.
Very true Debra and a daily regime I am working towards, in the past I had pushed myself very hard when it came to exercise and now I really enjoy having fun with it and enjoying myself as I move. This has become a great revelation for me.
I agree a daily short routine really gets the blood flowing and body feeling energised.
I agree Jessica and Susan, when i think about it, it does not make sense that exercising gives you more energy but it is true as I know it does! I can clearly see the difference in my energy levels throughout the day when I have done some exercise in the morning or not.
Very good point, Jessica. Definitely super interesting how it works in ways we wouldn’t expect. Perhaps it’s because our view of exercise to begin with isn’t to gain energy but to tire us out, based on old experiences. I’ve discovered the intention behind the exercise is what either energises or drains me.
To add to this… I know for me now that if I say I’m going to commit to exercise and then get too busy or distracted etc., and miss out on starting my day with this, the day just doesn’t feel right and I don’t feel as energised. It’s not the feeling I had years ago (where I associated skipping exercise with guilt or potential weight gain etc ) however I am coming to recognise this as the feeling of not commuting to and honouring support for me and my body. So for me, when I truly listen to my body and what it need, it’s really a no brainer.
Fabulous Angela – I love how you have presented that it is all about HOW you do exercise, not necessarily HOW MUCH or HOW INTENSE you do it – I think this overwhelms many people, as you say, if you have an expectation that you should have to do an hour or so a day, then this can be great encouragement to give up if you don’t have this kind of time!
So true Jessica, I admit that the thought of an hour or so a day is overwhelming for me and I have a range of excuses before I even start but the way Angela suggests, keeping it fun and according to how you feel on the day makes total sense. Inspirational!
I agree Jessica – it is important ‘HOW you do exercise, not necessarily HOW MUCH or HOW INTENSE you do it’. When I go to gyms I am always amazed how people seem to go crazy, seemingly almost killing themselves on running machines, or trying to cycle to a state of collapse – I would understand slightly if they were training for an event but to put this much stress on the body when you are not an athlete is unnatural for it (even if you are an athlete it is unnatural for it – but you could say it is used to it!). It put me off gyms and exercise but I have come to realise how supportive doing exercise is for my body and how much it supports me at work.
So true James. People pound away on the treadmill, and force themselves to lift weights so heavy that they are pushing well past what their body can naturally do – this can be seen by the fact they swing their whole body to push and shove the weights around.
Also interesting how many people do this whilst transfixed by the television screens or SMS’ing. Hilarious that I have seen someone send an SMS in the middle of a set of push ups – really!
Brings it back to your and Jessica’s point. It is how you do it, not how much.
Thanks, Jessica, this is great – it is all about HOW rather than HOW MUCH. In the past I have set myself a distance, time frame or number of lengths in the pool before I even start exercising, and realise now how little connection to myself and my body there is in doing so. Exercise then becomes a bit of a punishment rather than something loving that you do for yourself to look after your body and strengthen it so that you can enjoy an active life.
I have also enjoyed some classes with Danielle Pirera and they have been very light and play-full which I have so appreciated. Exercising helps me, too, to be more alert and vibrant as I go about my day.
Dear Angela, I find this really inspiring as establishing a regular exercise rhythm something with which I have always struggled. “I am learning how important it is to honour what I feel in my body, and not to exercise according to a set structure, technique or time frame or with an outcome of achieving a set result” and “This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” I find truly helpful.
Thank you Angela for inspiring me to re-explore my relationship with exercise. I know I feel better for it but I can really relate to it being the thing that gets dropped when I am feeling too busy.
How lovely to hear you reclaim exercise. I absolutely know the game you play in your head around “being too busy” or “not having enough time for exercise”…but in reality that doesn’t stop you moving. The key you say is to work with someone like Danielle to be reminded of the depth of self honouring available and to apply that into a regular rhythm within your day, week cycle to truly support you. What is also interesting is the more of these little “rhythms” we apply then the more our life actually becomes rhythmical which naturally dissolves that feeling of busyness. Love it.
Thanks Angela, what you say certainly resonates with me. I feel I get a lot more out of exercising when I listen to how my body feels rather than going all ‘gung ho’. Your line ‘This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.’ is very true and for me it takes away that belief that I used to have about having to spend a certain amount of time exercising to get a certain benefit.
We (ab)use it as a cliffhanger to not even start exercising to “that belief that I used to have about having to spend a certain amount of time exercising to get a certain benefit.” don’t we?! It is actually simply a choice. To allow the body decide. I’m still hanging there too. Simply saying nothing else then: “I don’t claim my body and offer it, what it deserves to have.” Time to walk on *
I agree Tim. Going all out and ‘gung ho’ brings in a force that can often lead to you over exerting your body leaving you tired and sore the following day making you less likely to exercise the next day, and the next.… Although your intention is to take care of your body the creation of the dramatic highs and lows from pushing your body too much makes you less likely to commit to exercising consistently. Our bodies loves gentle regular exercise that provides a steady support to our body, its that simple.
Beautiful Angela, thank you for sharing such an important realisation about exercise. It is very inspiring, with all the ideals out there on how to exercise and the roller coaster effects that happen, when it cannot be maintained.
I too realise the benefits of exercising in gentleness with my body, and how it makes all the difference and as you have shared becomes an enormous consistant support in my life and my whole body.
A very inspiring blog. It makes so much sense to be connected with our bodies during exercise. At the gym so many people stare at the TV or read while they are exercising. On the treadmills in my gym they have connection to the internet with a fast track to Facebook! All these distractions simply take us away from our bodies and we go into automatic, leaving out bodies to just drag on through with no regard for what they truly need. It feels so lovely to be with our bodies while we are moving, and we have an opportunity to really feel what is needed rather than imposing an exercise regime onto ourselves. Thank you for sharing your story.
Wow, Facebook on treadmills – whatever next?! This reveals that the general incentive to do exercise nowadays is not about connection to the body but ticking a box: ‘do exercise for the day – check’. And so having the internet on the treadmill enables people to tick multiple boxes at once!
Great point Janet – the focus is always on the ‘doing’ – and then we can get to the goal or desired result. That in itself makes it a chore to do.
Instead if we feel what we want to do, keep it simple – perhaps even just a walk where we need no special clothing etc but when you walk stay with how your body is feeling / moving, being aware of the way our feet touch the ground etc – the difference becomes light and fun – there is no goal or end result – just a commitment to self.
One of the developing loves that I have from choosing to now exercise is that it supports me to feel more present with myself and less distracted by the world, social media and technology. There is a humble simplicity in it which allows me to feel my fragility and accept it.
Yes, it is crazy that people don’t take the time to enjoy their bodies while exercising. But to be honest, I too get hooked into a TV program that they are showing every once a while. Though I don’t watch television anymore, in the gym it seems there is something interesting on specially for me, especially on the days that I am really connected. Then I treat it as another exercise: watching it – if I choose so – and staying in my body at the same time.
Also the keeping it light and fun is another key area – often exercise can be so serious, and I think that adds to the ‘slogging it out / dragging our bodies along’ kind of mentality that can so easily take over.
Very true Simon, I have very much experienced this over the year and have been turned away from exercise because of it. And as you say keeping it ‘light and fun’ really makes it all very easy.
yes fun is great, and something I never associated with exercise! But now I am quite silly and playful with my movements and reconnecting more with a childlike inquisitiveness to do with my body and how it moves.
Simon, I agree keeping it light and fun is the key, otherwise it is so easy to put it aside and never get around to exercising.
I am so with you on this one Simon! Exercise should be playful, light and fun. I used to train in a really hard way, pushing my body and being super tough, if the guys could lifts those weights then so could I to, I was never super fast, but I was strong. Now there is absolutely none of that, just an joy and a playfulness even when walking on the treadmill or lifting very light weights, as I am so enjoying being me, connecting to my body and feeling all it shares with me and the magic that is going on – how could I not smile and have fun.
So true Simon. True Movement has taught me how fun exercise can be – a pleasure rather than the slog and drive of pushing myself to the limit.
I agree Angela – my experience too. There is this weird relationship where either a) I start getting tired and stop exercising as too busy which leads to a downward spiral of getting locked into that way of being OR b) that I stay with the regular exercise and the exercise helps me to stay in my body and I get more energy as a result of doing it. And as you say it does not take much to maintain this, just a commitment.
Well said Simon, I completely relate to your experience of exercise, when I stay with regular exercise I certainly feel more energised than when I let it slip.
Me too David. The time I do make to exercise is then something I look forward to as I know how great I feel because of it.
So True Simon!
Gill, “dragging it along” perfectly describes how I used to exercise and it’s in such stark contrast to how I know exercise to be now. It really is transformational!
I can totally relate to the feeling of “dragging” when thinking about exercise – even though I know it will make me feel good during and after, there has often been a lack of motivation to get started.
Thanks Angela. It is a strange phenomenon as you say that when things get more intense in our lives we often leave out or don’t prioritise the very things that could give us the support! When it should be the other way around, that we actually make more time for self loving and nurturing activities of which exercise is an important part.
So true Andrew, it seems we abandon the very things in our life that enable us to deal with the intense parts. Great reminder for myself to ensure that me and my body get a look in too on a daily basis so that I can deliver everything else with some grace and energy.
This is great to read Angela, I have also found that ‘my exercise routine seems to be one of the first things that gets neglected.’ I was exercising regularly until about 2 months ago when I was away seeing family, since then I have let my exercise rhythm and routine slip into very occasional, I notice how I’m feeling more tired in my day from not having this exercise is the morning and I now feel inspired to start exercising more regularly again.
Angela I have also found that gentle exercise and staying connect makes such a difference in how I feel in body throughout the day. I feel a sense of vitality as the blood pumps around the body gently.
I have also noticed the same thing Angela, “That the busier I was, the more I was neglecting my exercise rhythm and routine… and the longer the gaps were between exercising.” And yet when I do exercise in the way you describe I feel so much more energised and open in my body.
Angela, Rachel and others, I have never had a consistant routine of exerciese in my life and my body has been begging me to change this…but I keep feeling too tired or too busy. Your words are SO encouraging to me and what Danielle is presenting, feels like exactly what I have been wanting.
I have found the same Rachel, when I exercise ‘I feel so much more energised and open in my body’. It is as if it sets me up for the day and helps me stay more present and connected with what I am doing.
Thank you, Angela. It feels very liberating to consider exercise in this way, and I especially like the line – “it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” Like you, Danielle has been a huge inspiration with regards to honouring how the body feels from day to day, and exercising in a way that is supportive rather than the old way of pushing through.
Thank you Angela. Your lightness and enjoyment of your connection with your body is unmistakeable. Exercising from a connection with our bodies is profound. I have had 1 one to one session with Danielle when I was feeling a lot of tension in my body. 3-4 weeks later my body feels much lighter and free-er due to my ongoing commitment to daily exercise. With more awareness and connection, I am able to detect much sooner when my body, or certain movements will lead to tension.
Thank you Angela. Exercise is not to get a body that looks good to others but an essential part of my daily rhythm to keep my body in good working order. On days when I think I am too busy to exercise I feel lethargic and tired. Exercise keeps me alert.
Great point Mary, I am appreciating more and more as I get older just how much gentle exercise supports me to stay fit, energised and well. I know I can ask my body to work hard when needed and feel well when I do, because I don’t tax my body on a daily basis. Gentle and consistent is definitely the secret.
Angela, I can totally confirm all you say as I have been exercising with Danielle too. I love these sessions as I feel so much more energised, connected, joyful and vital after have taken the time to commit to my body and focus on my quality. I have been shown how to exercise in a way that feels very honouring of how I’m feeling and it us something I simply can not imagine living without.
Hi Angela I too have been doing the on line class with Danielle and it has transformed the way I do and think about exercise. We do it early in the morning and it is a great way to connect to the body before going off to work. I have actually reduced the weight of my hand weights, something I would have never thought of before as my old line of thought would be to keep increasing it. I do quite a physical job so exercising in this way is very supportive without causing any extra unnecessary stress on my body.
Yes Kevin my previous experience of personalised exercise programmes has always been both the weight and the repetitions increasing as time went . This certainly is different
That is quite amazing to hear Kevin, that you have chosen to reduce your weights instead of continuing to increase them and push your body to do more. It just shows the power of gentle regular support and how much this contributes to our daily energy levels and ability to perform well in our jobs. A very different approach to the exercise industry today, this blog and comments showing the possibility of a new way forward.
This sounds AWESOME I want to do that exercise class. I don’t neglect my exercise routine and rhythm because I haven’t even got one !!! Very inspiring thank you for sharing.
Wow – this looks at exercise in a whole new light! How many of us have heard ‘no pain no gain’ and have been advised to exercise for results. With every trainer I can remember – I set up from the start what I wanted to achieve or change. So at once a physical goal is set. It was never about listening to the body – it was about pushing through.
That is the experience I was used to and what I allowed for several years.
To read this way of exercising Angela – in listening to the body and making exercise part of a rhythm – feels very supportive to me.
My body responds best to commitment and consistency. It was never the intensive short lived workouts that helped me – and now as I listen and respect my body more and more – I feel very committed to a never ending program that is part of my cycle – not for a physical goal – but to feel more of my body, more of a connection, and maintain an amazing rhythm.
Great point, Hannah. I have been driven by the ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality in the past aswell, and actually not only with exercise but life in general. I also love your comment “My body responds best to commitment and consistency”, which reminds us that it is the relationship with ourselves that really matters.
Great point Hannah I always ran away from the ‘no pain no gain’ exercise and generally have done too little exercise in my life. Listening to the body in order to honour what it does need is a learning in process. Great blog Angela.
Thank you Angela, this blog is most timely – it is very easy to let our commitment to daily exercise slip and then to beat ourselves up for ‘failing’ to do anything, which is counter-productive, because then we will do even less for longer. I have a beautiful gentle toning and stretching program worked out specifically for me by Creative Health and Rehabilitation and I know that commitment and consistency is key to our ongoing health and wellbeing, but so is going gently with introducing it. I find your approach and attitude to your own exercise regime inspiring, and a lovely reminder to honour how our bodies are feeling in each moment.
Your comments are timely too Carmel. I knew it was time to re-read this blog as my commitment to exercise has slipped recently, despite reminders by my bed as I get up and go to bed! To see your words, ‘a beautiful gentle toning and stretching program’ reminded me that I have just that but hadn’t seen it as such! Coming back to me and my commitment to a regular routine is the gentle nudge I needed. An inspiring blog Angela.
Angela what a beautiful sharing, I too have found how gentle exercise, while staying fully connected with my body, supports me in all ways throughout my day.
Awesome blog, Angela. One I can relate to very much, since I also started recently an online exercise class with Danielle. Just like you, I also experienced it is about connection to the body first and about the quality of the movements, not the amount. I was surprised how much my body loves the moving every single time, even if I don’t feel like that at the start. Great way to start my day, makes me more aware of my body all day. And this brings more joy and vitality in everything I do.
It has been very rewarding for my body to do to the exercise group with Danielle, it is stronger and feels more powerful like it matches more what’s inside me.
Your article has helped me so much Angela. I’ve been thinking of starting an exercise regime, but keep putting it off as I don’t know when I will fit it in. Your sentence – “However for me, committing to 10-15 minutes, 2 times a week is something that is manageable and a great place for me to start.” – I’ve been thinking it has to be more than an hour session and more than twice a week. Thank you for sharing.
Natalie, I had exactly the same response. I have been feeling the lack of exercise in my body, but had been unable to overcome a belief that an exercise program had to take a fair bit of time and be quite intense, or it wasn’t worth it. I can see that this belief is quite entrenched, and I love how this blog is shaking it up, rattling it around and disturbing it. It is time to let go. Thank you Angela, I will investigate some manageable options.
I agree Natalie, it is something that I, in the beginning, felt needed to create time for but as you say starting with just that is simple and easy and really does make a difference.
I agree Catherine, Amina and Natalie. When I started to listen to my body and its craving for exercise, I thought: “I can’t fit another thing into my morning” but letting that thought go and allowing the desire to take more care of my body and the will to build a connection with my pelvic area (which felt very numb and tight!) I went for it and have not looked back since. All the time is there and it is no extra strain but actually a joy each morning. Even if I wake up feeling groggy and awful, my body still wants to exercise and after a few minutes I often feel revitalised again.
Natalie I was putting it off for a long time too, but then one of my practitioners suggested to start with a 10 minute walk – that’s it for about 2-3 weeks, then slowly add some light weights for 3-5 minutes for another few weeks and then a few sit-ups and finally a few squats. This is around 15-20 minutes max. Now I have created a pattern, some days I have less time so will just walk, others I will add the other bits on. It feels so simple now and no pressure on myself. If I am tired then I give my body a rest. My arms have strengthened and body toned, without any pushing, just making it fun for myself.
This is great Amita, it is amazing how simple it can be and for most of us we have been taught that it takes lots of effect and focus but have lost the playfulness as you have described. Playfulness is key here.
Great Amita – you have inspired me, I want to start my program now!
This is what I have found so vital in my exercise Amita is like you say it builds up a a pattern and a rhythm that takes place every day, I have found that is everyday routine is what provides me such a solid platform for the rest of the day and everything that will come
That is a great point Natalie and one that I will consider too. We don’t need to go for an hour at a time, little and often can work miracles. Time to re-consider my daily rhythms and get some gentle workouts slotted in there.
It is incredible the difference making the time for exercise has on your whole day.
I agree Natalie. This is so supportive taking small steps and building on a strong foundation.
I used to feel the same Natalie, thinking that I had to spend at least an hour exercising to make any difference, made it harder to commit but realising that I can exercise to how my body is feeling and not have to push myself, gave me the encouragement to get back to the gym and maintain a regular routine.
Just perfect Angela, a beautiful description of how exercise should be looked upon. I’ve never been drawn to a gym for the reason that there felt like a necessity to commit to ‘x’ hours every visit, or that I had to do ‘x’ sit-ups every time – it was never ok to do only as much (or as little) as I felt necessary. The whole gym culture I felt, was to ‘do more’, ‘go harder’; but as you say it is up to us to honour “feeling how I want to exercise on each particular day”.
True Frank, I too have found the gym culture “to do more” and “go harder” quite daunting. Now that I choose a lighter form of exercise I feel more alive, like my exercise is getting me charged for the day whereas exercising hard left me worn down and tired. I can feel now how my gentle exercise is about a reconnection to my body, and a great marker of how I’ve been living.
The gym was a place where I mimicked others, trying to do as well or better than them, then there was yoga and there too a milder form of competition existed. I pushed my body until the day I tore a muscle in my thigh. When I started gentle exercises with a Universal Medicine practitioner I was told my body was very hard. I have since abandoned any ‘violent’ exercise and try to keep to my routine of gentleness. And it is so true there are days when I just want to lay on the mat.
Angela you continue to inspire me! I did exactly what you said, aimed for half an hour every day and promptly admitted defeat… I totally get its not what or how long but just dedicating some time to only feeling your body, it’s powerful stuff!
It sure is Rachael. In the past exercise has been a ‘should do’ so I was set up for failing however well intentioned my efforts were. It’s made such a difference making exercise about connecting more with my body and just allowing myself the freedom to do 10 minutes a day if that’s all I feel.
Yes Heather me too. Exercise was always something I should do and it made me do it less and less. But if we make exercise about connection with our body and taking the pressure off set time frames I found it allows an open space for how much exercise you really feel to do.
I love your honesty Rachael as to me this is the starting point in being able to make a different choice next time. In the past few weeks, there have been times that sometimes I don’t have the 15-20 minutes to exericse that I would like, but I know I have say 10 minutes and then I just commit to that… not beating myself up for not doing longer, but just enjoying the 10 minutes I do have. To me, the most supportive thing is working on my consistency.
Yes that makes sense to me, I no longer do beat myself up for not making time for exercises, but I can feel my body needs it very much and is calling for it. Even when there is no time to go to the gym I can respect my body doing some stretches and hip rotations and bending down to feel my spine – just simple moves right at the moment when I can feel tightness in my neck or back. But in the same time I do look at my rhythm why have I not allowed time for a workout, and this feels honest to me.
I agree, and not beating yourself up if you don’t do what you have set an expectation to do is also a big one for me – you have inspired me to get out my mat.
I know I am to exercise but at the moment I am finding excuses because I have this idea that I have to do 20 minutes every day and I know I am setting myself up to fail so then I don’t bother. To do, say 10 minutes twice a week sounds much more realistic for me and as Angela says “… the most important thing is working on my consistency” – this is great to read and a beautiful confirmation – thank you.
I have done that so much in the past, including but not exclusive to aiming for doing hours of exercise, but also with food and many other aspects. I have approached these goals with the right intentions, to get fit or to be healthy, but I hadn’t addressed a true way to live – dedicating time to being myself instead of just doing more and more things.
So true Jessica, I can relate so much to this blog Angela, this way of cutting out first my exercise and me time instead of addressing a true way to live – dedicating time to being myself – awesome reminder, thank you so much!!!
Cutting out exercises or going for a walk can be something I do as well when I go into busyness. While all along my body is talking, asking, sometimes screaming it wants to move in a loving way. My body love to exercise as long as I keep feeling it and stay present while I move.
Thanks Angela for your inspiration.
well said Jessica!
I love this Rachael. ‘ it’s not what or how much but just dedicating some time to only feeling your body’ this is such a supportive and nurturing way to approach exercise.
Anne-Marie great point, since doing some new exercise classes I’ve most certainly noticed a big difference as before it was about doing fitness to tick and box and make myself feel better, whereas using it as a way of connecting and doing what feels supportive for my body is another whole level.
It’s great what you say here Rachel, it’s all really about commitment, not really to the exercise but to our selves.
I am finding the ongoing commitment to exercise just keeps feeding me back. So much so that the choice to not exercise isn’t even there.
Angela great blog, I really enjoyed how you’ve not made exercise about doing a certain amount but how you do the exercise that is most important – sounds like much more fun!
Hi Angela, Reading your blog really brought home to me, the difference between when I listen to my body and offer it the exercise it feels to do, or override that feeling and distract myself with things I need to do! I know it helps me, and your line, ‘As I commit to my exercise rhythm I am experiencing more and more how this supports me in all of the other things I need to do in a day.’, really said it all.
This is a great point Judy as it demonstrates the simple fact that our commitment to truly listening to our bodies is key to know what one truly needs and what one needs to let go of. The revelation that Serge Benhayon teaches the ‘body is the marker if all truth” is one that we all can truly learn from.
I Agree it is definetly something we can learn from, “The body is a marker of all truth”
That is exactly what I have to learn in all aspects of life and not only for exercise, listen to my body to know what it truly needs.
I resonate to what you have said Judy and the phrase that jumped out for me from Angela’s inspiring blog is ‘commitment and connection to myself’. Also, to do what feels right for me on any particular day, 15 minutes instead of half an hour, or only twice a week. So many options, it is difficult to find excuses to resist listening to my body, however busy I may be with things I need to do!
Lorraine that was the phase that also jumped out to me “commitment and connection to me”. Angela shows how simple it is when we commit to ourselves first.
Judy you have reminded me have how often I choose to over ride my body with things to do rather than feel firstly the support my body needs with exercise to “get those things done.”
This is so true Ariana, and we can begin to feel that committing to exercise like this supports us to commit to life.
Yes Danielle and Ariana, I agree that it is a form of wellbeing for my body, which extends far greater beyond the class, but actually supports me to be more light, joyful and vital within my day. I feel great, and therefore the invasive negative thoughts in our day can be seen for what they are, and called out more easily, as we have this marker in our body.
I can feel this very strongly too, that when I am committing to exercise I am committing more to life. I feel I am completely dishonouring my body if I don’t give it at least a 10 minute stretch in the morning. This blog has most certainly re ignited my commitment to exercise.
I love this Ariana “It (exercise) has become a way I care for myself.”
Beautifully said Ariana – a truer way to care for ourselves is listening to the body and caring for it completely – exercise is just one of these facets of true love and care.