Summer is finally here in the Pacific Northwest, and although options for outdoor physical activity abound, not everyone feels compelled to work up a sweat on our leafy trails and azure lakes. In fact, for many people, physical activity serves as punishment rather than pleasure.

The Problem with “Exercise”

If this describes you, you are not alone. Although movement is one way we can connect to and center ourselves within our body, everyone has a different ability (and inclination) towards movement. Even more importantly, many people have only known movement as “exercise,” a way to change rather than inhabit the body.

Look at any gym or fitness program advertisement and a barrage of slender, muscular young people grin back at you. These pictures suggest that participating in the activity will change your form to the pictured “ideal,” and can even imbed in your subconscious the belief that having an “ideal” body is a pre-requisite to participate.

Intrinsic Movement

Clinical studies have shown that people who move for their own internal satisfaction, rather than to meet external health or appearance goals, are happier, have a better relationship to food and their body, experience less weight fluctuation, and are much more likely to stick with activity for the long term. But these “intuitive movers” are often slender and able-bodied from the beginning. These individuals are given the opportunity to explore enjoyable movement on their own body’s terms, without pressure to exercise in order to “burn off” their thighs or “melt” their abs. People exposed to appearance stigma and extrinsic exercise pressures have less internal motivation to move, suggesting that we may have cultural assumptions about higher body weights and sedentary living backwards.

The Impact of Weight Stigma

I recently tried to book a guided kayak trip for an upcoming coastal vacation. I was excited to spend time paddling with otters and seals, a source of great internal satisfaction for me. I was horrified, then, when the first company I selected advertised a 225 lb weight limit for all participants. 225 lbs?! There must be countless millions of potential paddlers over this weight limit. Were this company’s kayaks really so fragile they would break under the weight of a single harp seal? Incensed, I kept researching. Turns out, there are lots of kayaks with much higher weight limits. After all, my husband and I paddle our own (600 lb limit) tandem frequently in Puget Sound, and have (knock on fiberglass) yet to drown. This particular company had simply made the exclusionary business decision to invest in the lowest quality boats available. They assumed that only people in small bodies liked active adventures. This damaging weight stigma can keep intrinsically satisfying physical activity out of reach for fat folks. I was able to find another company with sturdier boats this time (especially important because I certainly want to be prepared in case a seal does decide to hop a ride), but equipment barriers are a real injustice. As we work to find fun alternatives for ourselves, we mustn’t forget to keep advocating for a more inclusive fitness world, with toys and machines shaped for all bodies.

Finding Pleasure in Movement

To reclaim our birthright of joyful movement, we can start by acknowledging the grief and anger we might hold from past exclusionary experiences in fitness spaces. But we don’t have to play along with the idea that movement is fun for thin bodies, and punishment for fat ones! With practice and self-compassion, we can learn to tune out extrinsic pressures and tune in to intrinsic motivation. Perhaps taking a walk when you want a break, or because it increases your energy, or helps you relax, instead of to lose weight. Over time, as you learn to trust your body and allow it to move when it wants to and not when it doesn’t, your body will shift from ornament to instrument. Not a shiny object to admire on a shelf, but an (amazing!) tool to use in whatever pursuit brings you the most happiness.

Tips for Intuitive Movement

1. Experiment, experiment, experiment! Rather than set a “goal,” pretend you are a researcher, investigating how different activities make you feel. Find something that is fun to do, feels good while doing it, and feels good afterwards. If an activity doesn’t work for your body, remember that the activity failed YOU, rather than the other way around.
2. Listen for your unique harmonies. We don’t all feel good doing the same movements. Some people like doing the same thing over and over and developing advanced skill, others feed on variety and enjoy trying a new activity every week!
3. Focus on your strengths. What is your body already doing for you? Practice gratitude each day for all the amazing ways in which your body takes care of you and moves you through your experiences.
4. Start with “gentle” movement. If your body hasn’t liked being pushed and prodded into certain exercises in the past, introduce your muscles and ligaments to moving through space without pressure. Consider restorative yoga, playing in the pool, and meditative walking.
5. Play! Avoid fitness classes that preach negative body messages. Look for activities like adult recreational sports leagues, boxing, karate, kayaking, social dance lessons, snowshoeing, plant ID walks, trail cleanup, volunteering at a local park, or even circus arts classes that focus on learning a new skill or completing a task rather than changing the body.
6. Make a playlist. Music can be a quick way to “tune in” to our own body harmonies. Put together a recording of favorite songs and turn it on when you are alone. Free your body to move to the music however if wants, and see what happens! This is YOUR dance.
7. Movement can be still. Even if chronic pain or mobility challenges keep you dancing to a slower beat, remember that just coming home to the body has physical benefits. Movement can be as simple as breath-work, which moves us from the inside out and relaxes tension in our musculature. Assisted movement, such as massage, stretching, or acupuncture, can also help the body feel good. Practice accepting your limitations, noticing your strengths, and reveling in the simple pleasure of having a body home that is all yours to live inside.