If you grew up with a plus-size body, it’s very likely that you were “encouraged” or forced into sports or some form of physical activity by family and friends. Of course, this is an idea rooted in diet culture, where exercise automatically leads to weight loss.
As research progresses and many of us have personally experienced, exercise doesn’t always result in weight loss, and it’s not the most important reason to move.
Have you heard of Joyful Movement?
Joyful movement is a way to engage in physical activity that focuses on choice, well-being, celebration, intuition, joy and flexibility. First, you need to find an activity that you really enjoy. It can be as simple as taking your pet outside for a walk, dancing, or swimming.
We often have grand ideas about how exercise should be, but the truth is that any form of physical activity is beneficial to both the mind and the spirit.
Exercise has many benefits unrelated to weight loss. Whether it’s improving your sleep habits, reducing stress, or increasing your mindfulness, it’s important to find what works for you. Not everyone enjoys the same types of moves, and that’s okay.
If you’re lucky enough to have friends who are into the same type of physical activity, try exercising together. Bringing friends is always more fun.
It’s important to set realistic goals when starting a fun exercise journey. As I said before, the purpose of shifting my focus to celebrating my body includes not focusing on weight loss or burning calories. A realistic goal might seem like starting with 15 minutes of exercise per day and adjusting it as you find something you enjoy.
Opinion from a fat activist
This is not an easy transition and will not happen overnight. According to Daniel @a_k_o_o_o_o, “I started to realize that physically it does make me feel better, but I found moving my body in certain ways far more enjoyable than others. but it was one of the few things I really enjoyed.The combination of water and music didn’t feel like exercise to me. It’s not necessary, so I encourage you to try different things.My recent goal was to walk around Disney with my family, so the time walked is not the distance walked. When I found an eight-week walking program that focused on, it really flipped the switch.”
Lindsey, @fantasyfatty, often hosts fun movement live on TikTok and has a lot of thoughts on the topic. they say, “The biggest thing is learning the science behind exercise and weight loss and discovering that exercise doesn’t actually lead to weight loss. Understanding that changes our whole perspective on movement and exercise.” If we can think of motion [exercise, sports, athletics, everything] We start choosing activities that make us feel good because we do and love them for fun, connection with ourselves and others, mental and physical health. The more we focus on exercise for weight loss, the more we lose sight of the actual benefits of exercise and why exercise is so important to our human experience. ”
Lindsay makes a very important point regarding the science behind exercise and weight loss. According to the NIH article, “Healthy Lifestyles and Mortality in Overweight and Obese‘, A healthy lifestyle is associated with a significant reduction in mortality regardless of baseline BMI.
Individuals were divided into groups based on BMI and amount of obesity. “Healthy Behavior” For over 14 years, they quit smoking, ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, consumed moderate amounts of alcohol, and exercised 12 days a month.
Implementing all four of these actions reduced overall health risk, regardless of a person’s BMI, with virtually no difference across all BMI categories. Most importantly for our point, the participants’ weight did not change over time, regardless of the ‘healthy habits’ employed.
Lindsey also recommends starting the fun movements slowly and gently. “Even when you’re pushing yourself, you shouldn’t push yourself beyond your body’s capabilities because movement is meant to make you feel good and will only lead to pain and injury.” The only way is to slow down and listen to your body.Take a dialogue with our body.Take care of our body.Take care of our body.Take care of yourself.Because you could do it five years ago. Don’t demand that people can do what they can’t do just because they can.”
How about celebrating your body through movement? Let us know in the comments!