Self Love: Movement + Rest
Back at it with our self love + 4 “basic” things our bodies need: fuel, hydration, rest and movement.
This series is so important to us because a lot of times with our clients, we like to bring it back to simple. Amidst the chaos and misinformation, what do our bodies actually need?
This week, we wanted to put the focus on movement and rest. Especially coming from an athlete lens as Jamison sees this all the time in the office with clients.
MOVEMENT.
This one hits a lot of different ways. The simple definition of movement is an act of changing physical location or position.
It is not defined as a specific type or way or a specific class or mileage. This is where society gets it wrong. There is so much pressure on the what and how of movement which then turns to losing that sense of enjoyment with movement.
This is where you come in. You have to define this for you.
Our bodies need to move. Be mobile. Change position or physical location. However, that can look so different for so many people.
For someone training for a marathon, that can look like mileage and distance day to day.
For someone building strength, that can look like a certain amount of weights/reps.
For someone just coming out of surgery or in recovery, that can look like physical therapy a certain amount of times per week.
In developing a relationship with YOUR body, be thinking what is enjoyable to you.
Some days it is nothing or a simple walk to the mailbox.
Some days it is going up and down the stairs a few times in your home.
Other days it can be going to a workout class that you love because of the community.
What does it look like for you?
REST.
The googled definition of rest is to cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.
Hence its importance and one of the main things our bodies need.
As a society, we put so much pressure on rest and it can sometimes be deemed as a “bad” thing or a means of “laziness.” Half of our crew is working moms so we get that the term rest can also sometimes also be a trigger or a funny joke.
Let us explain.
According to *Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, there are 7 different types of rest.
Physical: Our bodies need this for basic biological processes and functions - whether it is active or passive. A good example is an athlete training for something. Their muscles and body systems need rest to recover.
Mental: Think breaks to allow your brain to slow down. Deep breaths, scheduled time out of your day to reset, etc.
Sensory: Our world is full of technology and screens and lots of stimulation. How can we unplug for just a bit from these things?
Creative: This type of rest awakens our awe and wonder factors. Read more about that HERE (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/awe/definition#:~:text=Awe%20is%20the%20feeling%20we,the%20birth%20of%20a%20child.)
Emotional: We are human and as humans, we absolutely have emotions. How can we rest with these emotions?
Social: In the world of social interaction and media, this is a big one. How can we set some boundaries to allow rest?
Spiritual: Allowing ourselves to rest in places that bring us back to a sense of purpose and belonging.
Our challenge for you: find time to rest. Which one of the 7 above need your attention most or speaks to you the most?
*Check our Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s Ted Talk here: https://youtu.be/ZGNN4EPJzGk