I love to allow my body to take up space. To be big and vast. To unapologetically exist, to move in ways that feel good, and to be loud and present. Like the ocean. Sometimes my body wants to be calm and gentle, and other times she wants to be a badass bitch who makes waves.
Exercise felt negative
For a long time (too long), I didn’t enjoy exercise. I associated it with being aggressive, competitive, and with dieting. Basically, exercise felt negative. I felt like my soft body didn’t fit into that world of hard and toned things. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I finally realised that I do actually enjoy movement. I love to walk, do yoga, and dance around like nobody is watching. I adore walking up hills, skipping, and climbing rocks by the sea. I love it all.
Exercise itself didn’t change but the way I viewed it did. I started to focus on the word “movement” and decided what I liked and didn’t like. For example, I love going on long adventurous cycles, but I don’t like burpees. I love walking through nature and exploring but I don’t like running. I love fun workout classes that make me smile, rather than workout classes that make me feel like I’m going to die.
There’s movement for all body types
Movement can be body positive. It doesn’t have to be about “looking or being” a certain way. You don’t need to be fit enough to run a marathon just to do exercise. There is movement out there for all body types and abilities. The key is not to do what “you think you should be doing” but to find things that you like to do.
As I went through my own body confidence journey, I realised that my body deserves to be cared for. This doesn’t just mean slapping on a facemask once a week, it means giving my body what it needs when it needs it. I eat what I crave, I rest when I’m tired, and I move in ways that feel good. Movement makes me feel stronger, empowered, and reinforces that I’m a badass. I view movement as a positive thing and yes, exercise has many benefits, but the reason why I do it is because it feels good.
Body Positive Movement (not the same as The Body Positive Movement, but part of it) is doing movement that makes you feel good. This is movement for all bodies.
Body Positive Movement
If you would like to learn more about body-positive movement then get in touch with me or come to my next upcoming workshop “Body Confidence Chats- Body Positive Movement” taking place in Paris on October 5th. Reserve your spot here.