Today I listened to a webinar presentation by Alanah Dobinson, an exercise physiologist who focuses on helping those with mental health and eating disorders engage in safe, healthful exercise. Her definition of Intuitive Movement really resonated with me and the perfect piggyback to yesterday’s post about joyful movement.
She defined engaging in Intuitive Movement as being able to respond to internal and external cues (like injury or illness) before, during, and after movement, and be able to alter the frequency/intensity/timing/type of exercise in that moment for best health and performance outcomes and to avoid deleterious events.
For example, if your calf muscle is sore (an internal cue), are you able to respond by taking the day off from exercise, or reducing the frequency you exercise that week? If a friend asks you to come over for dinner at the time when you would normally take an exercise class (external cue), are you able to act spontaneously join for dinner — or does missing a planned workout derail your mood and/or ability to enjoy food?
Dobinson emphasizes that Intuitive Movement is process-oriented, rather than being outcome-oriented. This means that the outcome is less important to you than the act of doing it. What activity would you participate if there were no guaranteed physical outcomes?
Other things that help define Intuitive Movement according to Dobinson:
It should rejuvenate the body, not exhaust or deplete it
It should enhance mind-body connection, not allow or induce disassociation with the body and its signals
It should alleviate mental and physical stress, not make more
It should provide genuine enjoyment, not pain or dread
As I mentioned yesterday, partaking in joyful or Intuitive Movement does not mean exercise has to be relaxing, slow, easy, or “boring”. For some people, long-distance running or powerlifting is enjoyable, enhances mental clarity, rejuvenates muscles, and alleviates stress. For others, that sounds awful, and should not be practiced just for the sake of a calorie burn. The point is that you choose exercise that adds to your quality of life and mental sanity. Yes, there may be some physical benefits, like flexibility or strength. But remember, it’s about the process, not the outcome!