Movement as Self-Care

Have you ever Googled "women's running shirts?" If you did, you would quickly notice a theme:

• “I run for donuts”
• “I run for wine”
• “I run for queso”
• “I thought you said RUM”

And sure, these items may generate a chuckle, but consider the actual message they are sending. Do we *really* want to live in a society where we justify our food and drink choices with our physical activity? 

Food and exercise are too often unhealthily bound in our culture. “Cute” or “funny” t-shirts like the above only further the confusion between the two, suggesting that if you don’t eat the donut or queso, you don’t “have to” work out and are by extension a better person; and if you DO choose to eat the donut or queso, then you have to exercise to burn it off or you are a bad person. I can remember thinking this way even as a teenager. Unfortunately, we’ve probably all seen how this pattern of thinking extends past just linking exercise and food to linking all behaviors with food: “If I don’t eat _____ today, I’m doing really well on my diet,” etc.

So, how do we begin to change this? Instead of exercising to burn calories or lose weight, start exercising because of the positive health and mood benefits that physical activity brings. Instead of forcing yourself to do X days of cardio and X days of weight training, start to explore movement that feels good in your body. Shifting your mindset and practicing activity this way can help you start to nurture a healthier relationship with exercise and your body, and is one of the building blocks of true self-care.

When we separate food from exercise (and weight), and we remove judgment from our behaviors, we become kinder to ourselves and ultimately healthier altogether.