Looking to transform your relationship with exercise?
Consider tuning in to the needs of your body with intuitive movement.
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How are you feeling today?
Azul Corajoriaasks me this question every time I sign on for our weekly Zoom sessions.
But shes not my therapist.
In many ways, intuitive movement is about freeing physical activity from the clutches of diet culture.
Instead of resisting your instincts or punishing your body, the key is to workwithyour body, she says.
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The idea has caught on.
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The hashtag #intuitivemovement has 8.4 million views on TikTok.
As an intuitive movement influencer, Tally Rye has over 130,000 Instagram followers.
Yet the trend may be less of a new fad than many think.
And sometimes, that means it serves as the woke beard of a weight loss exercise plan.
Its all fine and dandy to say youre exercising for the joy of it.
But whats really motivating you when youre pushing to finish that last mile?
Why do you really get up off the couch to hit the gym?
And if you listened to your body all the time, wouldnt you just stay on that sofa?
Isnt that… bad?
Rye notes that unconditional permission to rest is a crucial piece of the intuitive movement puzzle.
The client stops the session when she is ready, and not after an arbitrary amount of time.
In 2016, she published anintuitive movement frameworkin the journalEating Behaviorsas a way to help standardize care.
Intuitive movement is really about returning to a time before diet culture colored our relationships with our bodies.
But who actually gets to call a rest day a part of an intuitive movement practice without judgment?
Its easy enough for a thin person to say, Im listening to my body and letting it rest.
But fat people face prejudice for falling into stereotypes of laziness and unhealthiness.
That gets even messier when people in larger bodies are people of color or have disabilities.
And it does absolutely take a lot of practice and a lot of continued effort.
As long as the way I move isnt rigidly pre-determined, perhaps a standing date can still be intuitive.
But knowing that youre helping your heart beat stronger and your lungs breathe deeper might bring some people joy.
Nobody is obligated to participate in movement, Chastain says.
But every body should be welcome, and be allowed to participate on their own terms.
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