I need someone to tell me that it’s ok if all I do is my silly little stretches & some little walks. I don’t want to do the high energy stuff. All my premenopausal self wants is low energy things in almost all aspects of my life now.
I came over from Jenn's share on Instagram. Love this. I was just thinking the other day, when I was going through my intense exercise part of life I wanted someone to tell me it was okay to walk, to garden, to hike. I knew it counted, but I worked in an industry that was constantly telling me it didn't. Exercise was only intense exercise, enjoyable movement was...you're not good enough. I'm so glad you've found your path to slow (enjoyable) movement.
"I thought that whatever disease was coming for me would need a Planet Fitness membership to catch me." This line made me laugh out loud. Also, replace 'whatever disease was coming for me' with 'facing my own mortality', 'the void', or 'literally any unpleasant emotion' and it would still be equally true for me. Thanks for writing this, Kim, I loved it.
Kim, thanks for writing this. I am seeing lots of disordered eating/exercise in my practice and your point about escaping death is profound.
Peter Attia MD suggesting the Octogenarian Decathlon as a marker for good health as we age has not considered the psycho/social issues and collective diet/wellness culture trauma.
Take walks and roll around on the floor - haha! This is what toddlers do, and no one tells them they aren’t getting the right kind of exercise. 🥲 Love that!
I like the idea of slower, sustainable exercise that calms the nervous system. Hmm. I take such slooow walks because of chronic pain and have often thought that “didn’t count” (ugh) so this is super helpful. Thank you!
I was trained with the mentality of no pain no gain. It was wild to have a physical therapist teach me that I was killing myself, getting injuries which led to me hating exercise and having crap outcomes. It’s been liberating to take kind walk for myself.
Same here: no pain, no gain. When I was in my twenties I never shifted gears on my bike (which had gears): always rode in the gear it took the most effort to pedal in, because otherwise what was the point? When I met my sweetie, who was a cyclist, I got a real education that the point of riding (and exercise generally) was to *enjoy it*, not to max out the suffering. What a concept! Needless to say, it’s a change that I have had to recommit to as i encounter new iterations of “no pain no gain,” so I really appreciate this perspective. Thank you!
Once someone connected the dots that intense exercise mimics the same physiological sensations as a panic attack, a lot of light bulbs came on in my brain. Like, oh why would I give myself a panic attack on purpose? Every day? 😑 Appreciate your candor here! Finding movement that feels right for the season of life I’m in … it’s no joke. So hard some days. It’s the weirdest exercise in asserting radical autonomy…
Thank you for spelling this out. I used to do intense sports through my first year in college playing water polo. Slowing down has been better for me and in helping train my nervous, over active brain to be a little quieter.
I need someone to tell me that it’s ok if all I do is my silly little stretches & some little walks. I don’t want to do the high energy stuff. All my premenopausal self wants is low energy things in almost all aspects of my life now.
Same ☺️
I came over from Jenn's share on Instagram. Love this. I was just thinking the other day, when I was going through my intense exercise part of life I wanted someone to tell me it was okay to walk, to garden, to hike. I knew it counted, but I worked in an industry that was constantly telling me it didn't. Exercise was only intense exercise, enjoyable movement was...you're not good enough. I'm so glad you've found your path to slow (enjoyable) movement.
"I thought that whatever disease was coming for me would need a Planet Fitness membership to catch me." This line made me laugh out loud. Also, replace 'whatever disease was coming for me' with 'facing my own mortality', 'the void', or 'literally any unpleasant emotion' and it would still be equally true for me. Thanks for writing this, Kim, I loved it.
Lane!! That’s so nice. Thank you for reading this, and laughing. 😂
Feel this and love seeing more people start to write about the truth it all
Thank you, Morgxn!
Kim, thanks for writing this. I am seeing lots of disordered eating/exercise in my practice and your point about escaping death is profound.
Peter Attia MD suggesting the Octogenarian Decathlon as a marker for good health as we age has not considered the psycho/social issues and collective diet/wellness culture trauma.
Take walks and roll around on the floor - haha! This is what toddlers do, and no one tells them they aren’t getting the right kind of exercise. 🥲 Love that!
I like the idea of slower, sustainable exercise that calms the nervous system. Hmm. I take such slooow walks because of chronic pain and have often thought that “didn’t count” (ugh) so this is super helpful. Thank you!
That last line: It me.
Yes! Your dusk walks and my hawk walks are living parallel lives.
I was trained with the mentality of no pain no gain. It was wild to have a physical therapist teach me that I was killing myself, getting injuries which led to me hating exercise and having crap outcomes. It’s been liberating to take kind walk for myself.
Same here: no pain, no gain. When I was in my twenties I never shifted gears on my bike (which had gears): always rode in the gear it took the most effort to pedal in, because otherwise what was the point? When I met my sweetie, who was a cyclist, I got a real education that the point of riding (and exercise generally) was to *enjoy it*, not to max out the suffering. What a concept! Needless to say, it’s a change that I have had to recommit to as i encounter new iterations of “no pain no gain,” so I really appreciate this perspective. Thank you!
Once someone connected the dots that intense exercise mimics the same physiological sensations as a panic attack, a lot of light bulbs came on in my brain. Like, oh why would I give myself a panic attack on purpose? Every day? 😑 Appreciate your candor here! Finding movement that feels right for the season of life I’m in … it’s no joke. So hard some days. It’s the weirdest exercise in asserting radical autonomy…
Thank you for spelling this out. I used to do intense sports through my first year in college playing water polo. Slowing down has been better for me and in helping train my nervous, over active brain to be a little quieter.