Three Reasons to Choose Movement instead of Your Workout Routine
Do you struggle to maintain a workout or exercise routine? Do you value the effects that exercise brings but don’t know how to implement them successfully in your own life? In this post, I explain why the concept of movement is better than exercise, and why we should all attempt to move as much as possible.
This page might include affiliate links. In the event of a sale, I could receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Movement or Workout
If you’re new to the health and wellness sphere, all of the exercise and nutrition guidance can be overwhelming. Heck, if you’ve been in this world for a while it can still be too much!
Everywhere I look there is often conflicting information of what to eat and how to exercise in the name of losing weight, becoming stronger, or “getting a beach body” ready for the summer. There are many reasons to seek out physical health, but hopping on the latest physical health bandwagon every time a new product or plan comes out won’t get you anywhere.
You need something that will work for YOU.
We’re all different. Not only does everyone have a different body chemistry and composition, but we each have different jobs, roles, and experiences that shape our daily lives. A one-size-fits-all, or even a one-size-fits-this-category plan might not be the size that fits you.
My Experience
It’s hard to have an online presence and not be aware of the latest health movements. While I value my physical health, I don’t value the restrictive or compulsive natures of many of the latest workout plans that I’ve seen recently.
Also, sometimes it’s just difficult for me to stick with one particular thing. My schedule regularly changes, and my routine has been changing a lot since the current pandemic, so just as I get into a routine of exercising in the morning, I have to reconfigure my plan.
It’s frustrating and disheartening to have a goal, but not know how to consistently make progress toward it.
The Idea of Movement
This is where the concept of movement, not exercise, comes in.
Movement is the idea that every aspect of our lives contributes to our physical health.
Normal, everyday things like
- Carrying a baby while at the store
- Cleaning your home
- Mowing the grass
can be beneficial to our physical health and function in the same manner as an exercise routine or workout program.
Committing to the concept of movement rather than an exercise routine allows me the flexibility and mindset shift to consider what I am doing every day that contributes to my physical health.
Our bodies don’t live in compartments. If I do go to the gym or go outside for a run, this does not solely burn calories or build muscle, or whatever goal I am working toward. The benefits of movement go beyond that of just physical health and promote a holistic wellness.
Three Reasons to Choose Movement
So, why should you choose to move, rather than adhering to an exercise plan with a specific goal? Here’s three reasons:
1. It Makes Sense for You
When you choose to move, you can do whatever works with your current needs. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, you can make a choice to promote your physical health by moving your body.
Maybe you choose to do lunges from your kitchen to your bedroom. That’s movement.
Maybe you choose to go for an evening walk with your spouse. That’s movement.
Maybe you choose to go to the community pool for laps. That’s movement.
The concept of movement instead of exercise frees our minds of the restrictive, all-or-nothing mentality of the current-day diet and exercise culture. Choosing movement allows us to be intentional about the movements that we complete throughout our day as small steps toward our larger goals of physical health and holistic wellness.
The concept of movement also allows for accommodations due to physical limitations like asthma or amputations.
Instead of feeling guilty for missing a day on your hardcore workout program, you can be thankful for the opportunity to move in whatever ways you did that day.
Take a deep breath and give yourself some grace. Do what makes sense for you.
Related: How to be Free of the Restrictive Diet Mentality
2. Movement is Easier
Finding time for movement is much easier than following a workout program. With set exercise rules, you have to complete the tasks often at the same time for the same duration and follow a set daily schedule.
I find that shifting my focus from exercise to movement opens up multiple opportunities for me to make progress toward my physical health during the day. I can be flexible.
Instead of being forced to skip a run if I don’t have the full thirty minutes, I can choose to go for a walk for ten and still contribute to my physical health in the same manner.
Yes, I’m going to burn fewer calories. But that’s not the point.
I’m seeking a life with physical wellness. I’m listening to my body and giving it what it needs using the resources that I have available to me at any given moment.
I don’t NEED special exercise plans or gear. I just need to listen to my body. Now THAT’s easy.
3. It Leads to the Same Benefits
Movement promotes the same benefits that exercise does. The same endorphins and chemicals released during a hard-core exercise program are released while you sweep your porch because your muscles and bones and bodies are moving. These chemicals shape our current and future body chemistry and components and promote physical wellness.
Movement might feel different depending on the type that we engage in, but it produces the same results – body awareness and progress toward the holistic wellness goal.
Like what you see?
Pin Me.
My Current Movement Opportunities
Currently, I’ve been taking walks with my husband after dinner, and pursuing yoga opportunities when I can. Personally, I love these two movement options because they can be done anywhere. You don’t have to have special equipment or memberships. Also, I’ve scheduled one cleaning task per day.
That’s at least 15 minutes of me moving AND getting a clean house as a result.
Sometimes, my husband and I miss a walk, and that’s okay. My goal is movement, not to adhere to a strict workout plan.
While I did practice yoga on a household rug for a few months, I do recommend getting a yoga mat if this is your movement of choice at some point in the future. It’s certainly not a necessity, but I’ve enjoyed my yoga much more when my feet have stopped slipping and there is a little bit more cushion for my knees. If you believe this is cost prohibitive, put a folded towel down as added protection.
What Opportunities Have You Chosen?
Movement can work for you in whatever capacity you are able and allows the mental flexibility to give your body what it needs. What opportunities do you have throughout your day to integrate movement into your wellness goals?
Let me know below how you might strive for movement over workouts or exercise.
Take the next step toward holistic wellness:
What to Read Next:
- 28 Cheap Foods for a Successful Grocery List on a Budget
- Budget Meal Plan for Two Using a Healthy Grocery List
- How to Get Delicious & Nutrient Dense Foods for Every Budget
Lat Updated: September 11, 2020
5 Replies to “Three Reasons to Choose Movement Instead of Your Workout Routine”