I had some time to think about this while holding a long yoga stretch… meeting my body where it currently is and not forcing it into a place it’s not ready to go… noticing when I was clenching a muscle that didn’t need to be clenched and just letting go and feeling what resulted from doing so.

One of the best things I’ve done for myself was giving up exercise as a path to weight loss. Instead of trying to find the will to do cardio activities I hate (hellooooo running!), I now choose activities that challenge my mind as well as my body.

Yoga and pilates have helped with finding spots that need work by highlighting soreness, weakness, knots, and tight muscles. I have had an active job for most of my life, and as a result often suffer with low levels of daily pain. I use fitness as a way to identify these areas to improve so the rest of my life is easier and more enjoyable.

For me, it’s no longer about trying to achieve a beach body, it’s about ease of movement. This has made exercise more enjoyable because it’s about feeling good and it spills over to the rest of my life. I’m taking an hour each day to make the other 23 hours that much better.

I’ve found a good balance of cardio, stretching, and strength, and now I go to the gym 5-6 days a week because I truly want to! 

How do you like to incorporate mindful movement into your life?