How to Stay Consistent With Movement (While Honoring Your Body)

Spring is here, which means warmer weather and more opportunities to get some movement outside!

With the change in weather, you might be feeling the pressure to start “doing things” again. Winter is naturally a time to slow down and rest, so when the sun starts peeking through the clouds, and you see everyone dusting off their running shoes, it’s normal to feel like you need to join in. It doesn’t help that social media in the springtime is filled with messages like:

“Get your summer body ready!”

“The holidays are over - time to diet again!”

“Are you bikini-body ready?”

Just thinking about these types of messaging makes my nose scrunch. 

Exercise is powerful, and I believe that intentional movement is so important for everybody. Whether you like to take long walks, do yoga, or lift weights, it’s all valuable and important. Movement keeps our bodies going and gives us a physical outlet from life’s stressors. And as with most things in life, consistency is key. Choosing a movement practice and staying consistent helps improve your health in many areas.

But, with all the “summer-ready” marketing we’re about to see, I want to talk about staying consistent with a movement practice in a way that honors your body (something I’ve been personally practicing the last few months). 

When you see instant-results workout plans and fad diets, chances are they’ll work quickly – but they leave you completely worn out and unable to continue for more than a few weeks. These quick fixes rarely make us feel good in the long term, because they’re designed to improve our outward appearance in the short term. 

Honoring your body starts with figuring out what feels good to you. What type of activities make your body feel better after you do them? Which ones fit into your lifestyle and your goals? All of us are so beautiful and unique, there’s just no way that movement can be one-size-fits-all! It’s okay to focus on what feels right in your body, not what Instagram tells you is best.

We can take time to explore WHY movement is important. This helps us understand more than just the health benefits of movement, taking personal notes of why we want to be moving and taking care of our bodies. Your why is personal, but many people hope to live long, healthy, lives; we know movement has to be a part of that so we can be walking well through our old age. But heck, let your why be vain if you want to! Do it because you want to look hot, lose weight, or have healthy hair and nails. The point is, take the time to consider why you have these goals so that you can understand the reason you want to practice movement regularly. Your goals can often save you from hitting snooze and skipping the gym! One of my “whys” is that my brain doesn't shut up all day about whether I exercised, so for mental health reasons (and ego chatter), it's better just to get it done than to hear about it all day in my head.

Once you figure out which movement practice works for you, it’s a great idea to plan a way to stay on track. Maybe you like to set goals for how long you want to move your body each day or each week. But when it comes to staying the course, here’s the part most people misunderstand: consistency doesn’t necessarily mean doing the same thing on repeat.

Here’s what I mean.

Maybe your goal is to do 30 minutes of weightlifting three times a week. You know it makes your body feel amazing and clears your mind. It’s a great goal!

But one week, you feel a little off. Maybe instead of deep stretching you feel like you need a walk to clear your mind. So you skip the weights and opt for a walk outside instead.

Guess what? It’s okay to change the plan! You can change the plan and still be consistent.

Your body knows what it needs. Replacing weights with a walk doesn’t mean you’ve gone completely off track. It means you’re being dedicated to your movement goals in a way that honors your body. The same principle applies when you feel the need to slow down, take a break, push harder, or move your body for longer. Consistency in movement doesn’t mean checking a box three times a week -  it means setting yourself up for lasting, long-term success in your movement practice.

I want to encourage you to spend some time asking your body what it needs this spring. How can you be consistent in honoring your body through movement? 

The same goes for how you intuitively fuel your body! Head to this journal entry to learn more. 

Warmth and love,

Jill