Do you think you have to always push through a workout when you are exhausted? Let me show you another perspective on healthy and fun movement while listening to your body!
Hey there, Happy Tuesday. I am so glad that you’re here. Today we are going to talk about fun movements to boost your energy because are you tired? I mean, I gotta say honestly, I am really tired today. I am draggy butt. I am dragging but do you push yourself to work out even though you are really exhausted? We’ve all been there, right? I know I’ve done that many times and I’ve just really learned over the course of the years that you know well that is not the best thing for me. And I want to share what I’ve learned with you today. Okay, so we are going to be talking about stopping the exercise guilt, beginning fun, healthy movement and watching your energy improve, which sounds amazing, I am sure if you are feeling exhausted, drained, completely worn out.
And if this is kind of your norm, right, if you feel like you are always tired, you’re always exhausted, you’re always dragging yourself through the day just to fall into bed and do it again the next day, this is going to be really, I hope encouraging to you. And I want to go over some tips to help you see what that could look like for you. Okay, so I really want to basically flip the switch on the topic of exercise, I just want to bring you another perspective on that topic. So if you are really struggling, before we get started, don’t forget I have that foggy and fatigue blueprint that I created based off of my own journey with fatigue. And in that blueprint, I give you three days of actionable steps that are going to help you to regain your energy, but doing it in a natural way that really you can continue doing daily. You’ll also be getting some email support from me for the first few days just to check in on you. So if you haven’t gotten that, go ahead and click the link below for that foggy and fatigue blueprint. And I know it’s really going to be helpful for you.
Okay, let’s get going with today’s show. Find movement to boost your energy. Okay, we are going to flip the switch on exercise. I want to bring you another perspective on this topic. So I want you to think about why your exercise could be draining you even more. You know, you may love your exercise routine but it could be draining you even more and changing your thought process about your exercise routine, what you do, just the way you approach your routine can actually give you more energy. So you know that you need to be exercising you know that you need to be working out you know, you need to be moving your body every single day but when you are in a state of exhaustion and just fatigue and it just feels like it’s never ending that this is the new normal for you that this is your lot in life you are going to always feel tired because of the demands that are on you.
This episode might really give you peace and I really hope it does because I want to give you five tips to successful fun healthy movement and within these tips, I think this will really speak to you. So number one is listen to your body, now you’ve heard this phrase before I am sure but are you really listening to your body? I don’t want you to put your body into that impossible box right? Stop treating it like a machine, your body is not a machine and it’s okay, it’s okay my friend to slow down. Give yourself permission to slow down. Especially if you are struggling with fatigue and just total exhaustion, maybe sometimes that fatigue that you have just feels debilitating. tating, right that walking through quicksand feeling where you just feel like you can barely keep your head up, you can barely keep your eyes open, telling you that.
So pushing through training your body like a machine is not the best idea, this is actually going to drain your energy instead of boosting your energy. So even if you get that quick burst of, okay, I feel okay, I did that, I did that workout, I did that 45 minute bootcamp and I feel much better, it’s going to be short lived, and it’s taxing your adrenals. And it’s actually going to cause more problems days after, because you pushed your body when it wasn’t ready for that. So it’s really important to listen to your body, if you are feeling drained, then you need to do something a little bit more gentle, like stretching, going for a mild walk, maybe even a simple meditation routine, right? Just getting your Bible out and meditating on God’s word, or listening to a meditation app or some calming music on YouTube, I realized that’s not moving your body but you have to understand if you are in that debilitating chronic fatigue state, then a big time hitt workout is not going to be your friend. So that’s why I threw that one out there but the most important thing is to listen to your body.
And then number two, understand your personal mind body connection, because everyone has you know, everybody has that mind body connection but what is it for you. So there’s a verse in Matthew, Matthew 26:41, where Jesus is in the garden, and it’s before his crucifixion and his disciples are sleeping, and he comes back and he finds them sleeping three times. And he says the first time he finds them sleeping, he says the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Well, even though it’s talking about that situation, I believe we can take comfort from that, in a lot of situations in our life today because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, we might really feel in our mind that we need to do this exercise, we want to do this exercise, maybe but our physical body is saying no, and it’s crying and it’s an pain or it’s an exhausted, and it just does not want to do that. So we’re kind of taught the right to push through, push through the pain, push through the fatigue, just push, push, push through. And I’m encouraging you to think of it differently.
And really try to nurture your body during this time of fatigue. So let me just give you an example of this too, in a very tangible example. Years ago, my son was a cross country runner and a track runner. And he just really was so good at it that it was just he was really inspiring me. He was very dedicated to his training. And he was really, really good at it. And he actually got a college scholarship from it but during this time, I have never liked running ever. Like never, it has never interested me. It has never been an interest of mine. I’ve never enjoyed it. So he inspired me to start running, just by watching him just really by seeing how he progressed, how he was doing. And so I set a goal, I was going to do a 5k. And that was a big goal for me because I’m not a runner, like I don’t compete. I don’t do races like I’m not a runner.
And I really, again, never really liked it but I started getting interested in it. I’ve always been a power walker, I’ve always loved to walk, that has always been my thing. And I was, you know, one of those power walkers, especially at that time. And so I thought, okay, I can go through this training, it’s not going to be that big of a deal. I can make it work. And I had goals for my miles, like how many minutes I was going to be running in a mile. And so I was going through a training process that I had just kind of created myself and he helped me And so long story short, I spent an entire summer in massage therapy and chiropractic care because my body hated the running but I was determined that I was going to be a runner for this 5k I set a goal. I said I was going to do it and I was going to do it. Well let me tell you Friends, I never did that 5k. And I had to make peace with that. And at first, it was really hard for me to make peace with it but you know, I got over it because I had spent all summer in chiropractic care.
They would adjust my hips and my hips would be all level and everything would be great. And then I would go for a run, a jog or a walk while I was doing my training. And sure enough, my hips would get uneven again. So I was dealing with chronic back pain and hip pain during that time, too. And so the running was just really beating me up even more but my mind was like, I’m going to do this, right, like, I will just stay in physical therapy, I will, I will just stay going to the chiropractor every week, I will ramp up my massage therapy, because my messages have never been like relaxing, fluffy, what I call fluffy massages. They’ve always been like deep tissue painful, like, oh my gosh, that hurts so bad, but it’s a good hurt. And I always feel better the next day. But I kept at it. And finally I ended up going to physical therapy as well, because I was wanting some more intense focused help for that low back and that hip that kept getting off center, and out of alignment.
And I just, I just remember the day that my physical therapist looked at me and she said, Michelle, your body hates running. And I knew that my body hated running. I’ve been spending the summer in therapy, and in pain. And I knew that but my mind wasn’t ready. Like I wasn’t willing to admit that this was not something that I should be doing. And I would have just continued to hurt myself. And so not to mention the expense of all of those appointments. So I really had to make peace with it. And I honestly I was just in denial for so long. I think that it was as bad as it was that there was really a reason why I was continuing to be in so much pain. And it was just that the impact was not good for me. And so I just say all that to say that sometimes in our mind, we can be all in but then our body is like No, not right now or
not ever, or this is not what I need. So just understanding your personal mind-body connection, I think is really important.
And then number three, you know less can be more. less exercise can be more. playing with the kids playing out in the front yard, playing soccer, kicking the ball around, playing basketball, that can all count as fun healthy movement. See, we want to get rid of the word exercise. And we want to tack on fun, healthy movement, fun, healthy movement is really going to be key in helping our bodies while we’re going through exhaustion while we’re so fatigued, and when we have fun, healthy movement, we can actually have more energy. It’s pretty amazing, you know, dancing, putting some music on dancing to some music dancing for 10 minutes or something like that. Or if you really love that workout model, do some shorter bursts workouts instead of those longer hiit workouts.
And there are some great ones on YouTube, you’ve got some amazing shorter videos that you can do, like Has Fit those are wonderful. Lucy Winningham I think she does seven minute videos. There’s a couple of other people that do like seven minute 10 minute bursts workouts and those are really good. So and you can target to like you can do like the ab workouts or you know, leg workout. But really if you’re used to that 35-45 minute workout that is draining you consider doing less time. And if you love that intense cardio, then just do shorter bursts of it, don’t do these longer videos. And number four, lay your clothes out the night before as a visual. So if you want to do your fun, healthy movement in the morning, then lay your clothes out the night before so you see that as soon as you wake up. If you want to do your fun, healthy movement in the evening, then lay your clothes out that morning. Or if you’re going to be doing it right after work, pack them to go with you to work and pack your sneakers so that you can get out and enjoy some sunshine on your lunch break and I really hope you are taking a lunch break because that’s your time and you deserve that.
So lay your clothes out. Having that visual reminder makes a difference but let me tell you don’t let that stop you. Do not let that stop you if you are going to be doing a yoga stretch, for example, do it in your PJs, don’t let that be an excuse, I didn’t lay my clothes out, I’m not going to change or I’m too tired to change whatever, plop on the floor and do some gentle stretches. If you tend to have stiffness and pain in the morning, this is going to feel really good for you to be doing some gentle stretches, before you hop in the shower or after the shower. And just do it right there on the floor. Oh, many times I did that I would literally, my husband would still be sleeping and I would be stretching on the floor in the bedroom because it was carpeted. And so that’s when I would do that, if I didn’t have that specific time carved out that morning, or it was super early in the morning. And I would just do some gentle stretching. And that’s okay. And then you know if you do that in the morning, and then you still want to do more in the afternoon. Great, that’s excellent. And that’s a great way for you to get movement that’s fun and that you enjoy throughout the day.
And then number five is plan ahead. plan ahead for this because not only do you want to plan ahead to pack your sneakers at work or pack your workout clothes, but you also need to pack a snack because you don’t want to be necessarily doing a high intensity workout when you’re starving. I mean, that might not be the best thing for you, you don’t want to have a blood sugar crash. So you know your body better, you know what your body needs. But packing a protein snack can really help. And so you want
to plan ahead for that. You also want to plan ahead in the sense of blocking your fun, healthy movement on your schedule. So keep that time sacred, you don’t want to necessarily be consistently crossing that off, because you weren’t able to get to it, you want to carve out that time. And that’s why I suggest sandwiching your busy day.
So doing something for yourself in the morning and then something for yourself in the evening because that sandwiches your busy day with time for yourself. That’s a good stress technique to sandwich your busy day in between something for yourself in the morning, something for yourself in the evening. So do you see how we’re changing from exercising and having exercise guilt and “I must do this” And” I must do that.” And you were just switching it to fun healthy movement, or switching it to doing something that is enjoyable that we enjoy and that will actually fuel our body in a healthy way. So let me just recap five tips to successful fun, healthy movement. Number one, listen to your body, stop treating it like a machine and give yourself permission to slow down. And number two, understand your own personal mind body connection.
And number three less can be more, get out with those kids and play and give yourself a pat on the back that you did some fun, healthy movement that day. And the kids are going to love that too. number four, lay out your clothes, the night or morning before as a visual. Whatever time you’re going to be doing your fun movement. And then number five, plan ahead, eat a snack before as needed. Generally going towards protein, you don’t want to have those blood sugar crashes and you want to pack for work. So pack your sneakers, pack your clothes, like plan ahead for what you’re going to do. And especially as we are getting into better weather, springtime, like really finding what works for you. What’s enjoyable for you and implement it because it’s that whole mind body soul connection, you’re gonna feel so much better.
So let me give you two action steps. They’re super simple. So number one is give yourself permission to make the change that you need to make. You know what that is, you know, if you have been a crossfitter or a boot camper, and it’s no longer serving you, it’s okay to walk away. It really is. Give yourself permission to make the change that your body needs. And the number two, take time tonight to plan for your movement of choice for the rest of the week. Whatever that is, just take the time tonight to plan for that. Write it in your planner, schedule it in and have fun with it. Just really, really have fun with this. This is supposed to be fun, right? Healthy movement is supposed to be fun. So I just encourage you to have fun with us.
Let me pray over you. God, I just pray that you would touch the heart of the woman listening right now who is just so weary, so tired and just really doing the best that she can to get through her busy day with all of her demands. I pray that she will feel your heavenly hug for her right now. I pray that she feels relief with a thought that maybe she doesn’t have to do all the things to feel better. And I just pray that You would speak to her father and quiet her heart In her mind, in Jesus name I pray, amen.
Okay, friends, that’s what I have for you today. So if you found value in today’s episode, share it with a friend. And don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast so that you can keep up on future episodes. And it also helps other women just like you to find the show. So I appreciate that so much. And I will see you next week, beautiful.