Joyful Movement

My mentor, Mark Sisson, states in a fabulous Outdoor magazine article, “Body composition is 80 percent the result of your diet." 

This is the truth, and it is why my "Release and Be Free" cleanse focuses on trading processed toxins for gorgeous, delicious, nutrient dense food. Once you get your nutrition dialed in the excess weight will melt away, energy will increase and you will discover how your body craves movement. 

A situation I see far too often is the idea that we have to punish our bodies with excessive exercise to release weight.

Many years ago, when I lived in a town with a gym, I would spend six mornings a week slogging away on the treadmill or stair-stepper. I dreaded these mornings but felt like they were necessary to maintain my weight.  When I look back on the experience I can't believe how disconnected I was from my body. I would get on a machine and tune into one of the TV screens in an attempt to ease my boredom. (Watching Black Mirror's "Fifteen Million Merits" episode was eerily similar to my gym experience!)

This was not joyful movement. 

When I first experimented with transforming my nutrition to become a fat burner, I decided to give my body a break from chronic cardio to ease the transition. I completed only exercise I loved: yoga and leisurely walks in the woods. I couldn't believe how quickly inflammation and puffiness in my body decreased, while exercising way less than I'd ever done before! 

Soon my energy was through the roof and I began to crave more movement. It was at this point that my body began telling me what type of exercise it wanted.

I remember hiking in the woods, feeling so alive and overflowing with energy. All of a sudden I felt compelled to sprint up the hills, even though I was wearing jeans and Xtra Tuffs. It felt so delicious!

I had discovered an absolute love of hill sprints on forest trails. Now I get so excited for my weekly sprint session through the woods.

I love the whole experience. I get to the trail early in the morning, before anyone else arrives. It's just me, the birds, the animals and the trees. I race up hills until I get tired, about 20 seconds, then walk until my breath returns to normal. I repeat this cycle as many times as I desire. During this exercise my body feels alive, free and so strong. The post sprint glow is pretty epic too. 

This experience is such a sharp contrast to my dreaded mornings on the gym treadmill. 

Now my weekly exercise routine involves low-key daily movement (like walks in the woods), daily yoga or stretching, perhaps two 15 minute sessions of lifting heavy things or PEMs, and one glorious sprint session.

I get excited before each of these joyful movements. I stay present and connected to my body throughout the exercise, and I relish the post-movement glow.

Are you completing exercise that fills you with dread or leaves you feeling sore and inflamed? Do you feel like you might be hurting your body with chronic cardio, but worry that stopping it would result in weight gain?

Fantastic news for you: once you dial in your nutrition you can give up dreaded exercise and focus on movement that brings you joy. Your body will breathe a huge sigh of relief and the weight will release with ease.

Aren’t you excited to discover the exercise that brings your body joy?

Would you like to know more about this magical transformation process? Fill out the contact form or email me: katie@awakenyourglow.com .