Many of us sooner or later have an awakening in life where we realize that we need and simultaneously want to start moving our bodies more.
When we move more than we usually have before, an inner resistance can arise. It's then easy for us to choose to believe in myths or so-called "fundamental beliefs" about exercise that we've never really examined, which in turn leads to us "forgetting" to exercise or coming up with other excuses.
Therefore, let's now look together at three common ideas about exercise.
1. You need to be pumped up to exercise
This myth is based on two assumptions: that exercise is tough or boring, and that we don't really want to move our bodies.
What might be missing is a deeper "why" in our exercise that activates our natural playfulness and curiosity about our physical capacity.
A deeper "why" for your exercise can be easily explored by answering the question:
Why do I exercise? The most common answers are:
I want to feel good and be healthy. This often means having more energy in everyday life and not getting sick frequently. And if you do get sick, being able to recover quickly.
I want to look good naked. This can be a desire to lose weight or build muscle, or simply a wish to feel attractive naked and like yourself.
I want to live long. Many of us want to reach old age, but not as sick individuals but as healthy people with full mental capacity.
Exercise can also be about reducing joint pain, living long enough to meet grandchildren, or being able to do something specific like becoming good at dancing, doing handstands, climbing up a tall tree, running a certain distance, being able to do a special yoga pose, or lifting a certain weight.
If you have something you want to be able to do or change that is important or fun for you, then the chance is much greater that you will want to exercise.Then you don't need any "motivation" or "pumping up" to go and exercise. You are motivated from within, by your own curiosity and sense of purpose.
Another equally important aspect is that when you're used to exercising, you'll automatically be more inclined to exercise. It becomes a bit like brushing your teeth - it feels a bit strange not to do it eventually.
Find a why or goal that makes you feel alive and have fun while exercising!
2. You have to train hard every day to succeed with "x"
A prevalent idea is that "the harder and more often you train, the better you become." This is probably true if you're training a specific skill like table tennis or salsa.
But if you're training strength or cardio, for example, most of the effects of the training will happen after your workout session, i.e., when you rest, eat, and do other things in life. You therefore need to give your body time and recovery to get results.
Another aspect of training very frequently and intensively is that it can be easy to push yourself too hard, which leads to injuries or a weakened immune system.This then doesn't lead to long-term effectiveness or healthy training that we all desire.
You need to train often enough that you continuously get a little better. The body needs 2 to 6 days between sessions depending on what you're training. The more you push yourself during a session, the longer recovery time you need.
Lighter activities like stretching and balance can be trained every day, such as yoga, while heavy strength training, for example, means the body needs more time between sessions.
So don't forget recovery!
3. You must eat in a specific way to succeed with your training
If we believe that we must stick to a very exact diet, eat a certain number of times per day, and/or avoid things we otherwise enjoy in order to succeed with our training, then we create unnecessary resistance to moving our bodies.
We would instead like to invite you to explore what you crave to eat when you have exercised. How does it feel in your body and what works best for you?
Of course, there are habits and guidelines that are good for everyone. For example, it's more supportive for our bodies to have natural, nutritious, and toxin-free food. Overly processed food, additives, and chemicals are disruptive to the body, which takes energy instead of helping with recovery.If you want to make it easy to replenish with good nutrition after exercise, we offer great smoothie recipes.
There are many different ways of eating that work for different people. Remember: no diet is right for everyone. Natural food works better than unnatural food, and it's good to fill your kitchen with clean, nutritious food that makes you feel good.
Do you know other exercise myths that hold us back? Share in a comment and make health easier for all of us with inspiration!
