Movement “Motion is lotion” one of my old teachers used to say.” Fortunately I think society is getting it. We are realizing being sedentary with poor diet causes all types of issues. However, often in life you fix one problem, and then it leads to another.
People are now ending up in my office for few reasons:
1. They are not moving enough
2. They are moving WAY too aggressively and too much
3. They are not moving the best way for their body
Well geez. Now what? How do you know what to do? Well, don’t give up completely. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Let’s start with–
#1. Just start moving. But, do it small and incrementally. Choose an activity that you enjoy like walking, or yoga. Start off 1-2x/week for a small amount of time 30 minutes maybe. See how your body responds. Go slow. Ask for help. In this stage the patients I find having the most trouble is when they went from nothing to sprinting out of the gate full speed and trying to maintain that pace. Or, attending a vigorous yoga class 7 days a week when they’ve never done yoga before. This usually leads to pain. The emotional and physical kind. Be gentle with yourself, overtime you will get there.
#2 Moving does not mean beating yourself up. Being excessively sore for days on end with no rest or recovery days. Even if you have been working out for decades. Moving means being sustainable for your life. Yes some days you should challenge yourself and have muscle soreness the next day, but that should not be everyday you workout. If the body does not have enough time to recover you put yourself at risk for injury. Or, if you push yourself too hard in a yoga class or at the gym for example, you put yourself at risk for injury right in that moment.
#3 You might be moving the correct amount, but this issue is HOW you move. What’s your alignment like? Are you just feeding into dysfunctional patterns that put you at risk for injury? I see this often in my yoga classes. Students will attend class hoping to reverse all their sitting time at work and commutes. However, how they move on the mat just reinforces that sitting pattern because they are not moving into the different, new or uncomfortable patterns. Most of the time they are just not aware. Slow down in classes or at the gym. Really listen to the cues of the teacher and FOLLOW them, or use the mirrors at the gym to check your form.
Remember if you have questions on any of this or think you fit one of these areas but are stuck reach out to me! alison@ignitewellnesssandiego.com or call (858) 248 2272. You can sign up for a free 20 minute consult. I’m here to help you move past your stuck or painful place!
