You may understand that food is a nutrient: something we need in large amounts for survival.

But have you ever thought of movement as a nutrient?

Any nurse or doctor can confirm this truth as they witness countless bed-ridden patients who require their bodies to be manually moved just for blood flow.

But while most people understand the importance of movement, many get it all wrong in terms of intensity, frequency, and type.

Just like we're trying to cram in as much as possible into one day, one meal, one social event, one work meeting...

...we try to cram in a day's worth of required movement into one workout.

So, we go all out.

We think if we just do the most intense exercise possible and end up curled into a ball of sweat and tears, then maybe, just maybe, we pushed ourselves hard enough.

But this couldn't be further from the truth of what your body actually needs for health, longevity, and how to effectively manage your body composition (muscle to body fat ratio).

This is especially true for women, who are more stress-sensitive than men.

And furthermore, this is true for women in experiencing hormonal imbalances at any age or are in their 40's and older.

Here's a better way of looking at exercise through the lens of movement:

Movement is any physical activity of the body produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure (spent kilocalories) and is positively related to physical fitness. This can range from chopping vegetables to bending down to fold laundry to hanging from a tree.

Exercise is a subset of physical activity that is intentionally planned, structured, repetitive, and has a final or immediate objective to improve or maintain physical fitness. 

Typically when “exercise” is being done, nothing else is being done at the same time. 

Exercise is a new phenomenon for the modern human species to supplement missing movements required for thriving, such as lifting weights to replicate load-bearing activity or yoga to replicate spinal twists, bends, and lengthening.

What does this all mean?

Most people are focusing too much on intense exercise instead of overall daily movement. Daily low intensity movement actually burns more calories and helps regulate your metabolism!

We love getting creative and incorporating little ways to move all throughout the day. It kinda takes the pressure off, doesn't it?

This could look like: 

• Sitting on a bouncy ball instead of a chair
• Changing work station positions frequently (standing, sitting in a chair, sitting on the floor, squatting, using a low desk, lying on your belly, taking a walking call, etc.)
• Bouncing gently on a trampoline or stretching / doing mobility while watching TV
• Falling in love with chores, cooking, and outdoor house work as they're another opportunity to move your body
• Dancing in the shower
• Putting away some of your chairs and couches and substituting with foam rollers and lacrosse balls (seriously - this one works so well! change your environment, change your life)

What does this implicate?

1.) Focus on mostly low-intensity movement throughout your day. 

Try to move every 30-60 minutes, even if you only have as little as 1 minute to take a “movement break”, ideally outside if possible for proper circadian signaling and hormone health from sunlight.

Can’t get outside? Open a window. This kind of low intensity movement includes walking, gardening, stretching, cooking, cleaning, chopping, bending, etc.

2.) Be intentional about intense exercise as it’s a stressor.

In particular, women experiencing high stress and/or perimenopausal symptoms need the “Goldilocks” approach to intense exercise. 

Women need the least effective dose. Too much can lead to increased appetite, further hormonal imbalance, and inflammation. This is why we prioritize progressive strength training instead of Peloton rides and bootcamp classes.

We can't tell you how many people come to us thinking they're doing all the right things from slashing calories, cutting out foods, and doing all the cardio but are stuck, overweight, and exhausted but can't sleep.

If you are pushing your body like a professional athlete via intense workouts (and demanding schedules) but not fueling properly with food and not recovering properly with rest, sleep, fascia work, and stress management... your body will stay in a sympathetic, inflamed state. It's really that simple. 

You have to find a middle ground of just enough stressors on the body but not too many, which is different for each person at various stages of life💚

And that's exactly what we help you with: co-creating a personalized blueprint of health, well-being, vitality, eating, moving, and schedule optimization so you can live your best life. 

Click reply to apply for 1:1 coaching and feel better in as little as 3 days!

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