Ep. 14 How to Create a Workout Routine You Can Stick To

[00:00:05] For many of us, exercise often has gone hand in hand with dieting and weight loss or any of our health efforts.

[00:00:15] Weed to basically start a new way of eating a follow-in-new meal plan, the latest diet, and simultaneously decide to start a brand new workout routine at the same time.

[00:00:27] And just like the diet was only successful for a few weeks at most, chances are any new workout routine that you've ever tried wasn't sustainable either.

[00:00:39] This is because our current beliefs about movement and exercise have been shaped by diet culture, and they tend to keep us trapped in an all or nothing way of thinking.

[00:00:51] We're either 100% all in or a couch potato, one week we decide to work out every single day and the next week we're too sore to get out of bed so we just say forget it.

[00:01:03] So the challenge that we face now, my challenge to you is to just get moving.

[00:01:11] Figure out a way that feels good to move your body and start to feel the difference.

[00:01:16] Start to see the difference in being able to be consistent and sustainable once you find that joyful movement.

[00:01:24] Focus on how it feels to move your body instead of how many calories you burn or if you close your move ring or not.

[00:01:31] In this episode we're exploring some of the common signs you may have that you may have a disordered relationship with exercise.

[00:01:40] We're going to identify some of the reasons why you haven't been able to stick with a workout routine and then I'm going to share five ways to help you start making moving fun again.

[00:01:52] So let's get started.

[00:01:55] Welcome to the nearest to bloom podcast where your faith meets your health.

[00:02:00] I'm your host, Cara Traptit, a registered dietitian and certified Catholic coach and I'm here to help you cultivate a deeper connection with your body, your spirit,

[00:02:09] and the nourishment that sustains them both.

[00:02:11] In a world filled with noise and confusion about food, health and body image, this podcast offers truth and healing from a Christ-centered perspective.

[00:02:21] Together we'll untangle the deep roots of diet culture and discover what it means to truly care for ourselves,

[00:02:28] through joyful nourishment of mind, body and soul.

[00:02:31] We heard a dive into the transformative power of intuitive eating coupled with the rich teachings of our Christian faith.

[00:02:37] With every episode I'll be cheering you on, offering insights, inspiration and practical tools to help you heal your relationship with food,

[00:02:46] and embrace the beauty of your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

[00:02:50] With confidence and courage that can only be found in Christ.

[00:02:55] Join me as we journey together towards a more holistic approach to wellness.

[00:02:59] When that honors the wisdom of your body as God's creation, the teachings of our faith and the unique purpose you're called to the film.

[00:03:07] You were made to bloom, to come into full beauty and health in order to bear good fruit for the Lord with your life.

[00:03:15] So if you're ready to nourish your body, feed your soul, and bloom into the best version of yourself, then you're in the right place, and I'm so happy you're here.

[00:03:24] Welcome to Nurs to Bloom.

[00:03:27] Where every day is a sacred invitation to thrive.

[00:03:34] Hey there, welcome back. Hope this podcast episode finds you having a wonderful day.

[00:03:41] So excited to be here with you and today we're going to talk about joyful movement and what does that look like?

[00:03:48] I mean, if I'm being honest, just like with dieting, most of us tend to have a disordered relationship with movement.

[00:03:55] I mean, how often do you have to recommit to working out?

[00:03:59] Right. How much are you spending, you know, trying the latest or greatest gym that pops up or like type of workout, you know,

[00:04:07] Plotty's orange theory bar at 45, like so many options out there.

[00:04:14] Right. And so how much are you spending trying to figure out the thing that is going to, you know, stick or the latest homework out equipment.

[00:04:24] Or, you know, new exercise equipment, like, I mean, I don't know all those mirrors and things that are out there now.

[00:04:32] And new weights and new bands and, you know, new mat and all the things and like let's not forget about all those cute workout clothes that we think we need before we actually like start working out.

[00:04:47] And it's kind of funny. I mean, I will say that I was definitely a person who kind of fell into these traps.

[00:04:53] I mean, but the thing is we all think that these things, the latest gym, the latest, you know, studio, the latest homework out equipment, the latest fashion is all going to be what keeps us motivated to finally create a sustainable movement practice.

[00:05:11] But the reality is like, just like the newest, bad diet or superfood that is out there or meal plan.

[00:05:19] These latest fitness trends aren't likely to last or set you up for lifelong health habits.

[00:05:27] And so what we've really been talking about, you know, the last several episodes is intuitive eating and how this helps you heal your relationship with food and your body.

[00:05:38] And so as you begin this healing journey, you may also need to do some work on healing your relationship with exercise and movement.

[00:05:47] Because if the relationship you've had with exercise up until this point is one that maybe brings on feelings of dread or you've used exercise in the past as a form of punishment for eating something you felt like baby you shouldn't have.

[00:06:03] Then it's really time to revisit how you view movement and why you are moving and why you want to have a movement practice.

[00:06:13] So I want to take a moment and share some signs that you may have a compulsive or distorted relationship with exercise.

[00:06:21] And so these signs are things that may maybe things that you're struggling with and just know that these are kind of cues or signs that, hey, maybe you need to take a minute and re-evaluate what your relationship with exercise looks like.

[00:06:36] So a couple of these are the inability to stop or miss a workout.

[00:06:43] Even when maybe you're feeling sick or you're injured, you just have to have to make it to the gym or have to do that workout like you can't ever miss a day and it's just this inability to stop or miss a workout.

[00:06:57] Or you feel guilty for missing even one day.

[00:07:01] A sign of overtraining is that you're getting poor quality sleep at night.

[00:07:08] Another sign that you may have a distorted relationship with exercise is that you're paying this exercise penance because you've broken some sort of food rule or you've eaten a food that you shouldn't have or you've eaten too much.

[00:07:23] And then, kind of this other telltale sign is that you're afraid that if you stop working out or if you miss a single day then you're suddenly going to gain weight.

[00:07:38] So if you're struggling with any of these and I will tell you truthfully there were things that I struggled with.

[00:07:43] A lot of it was the feelings of guilt for missing a workout or missing a day, you know paying that exercise penance for breaking a food rule.

[00:07:52] Like feeling I needed to like go burn off these calories of things that I, you know had eaten that I felt like I shouldn't have or, you know, fearing that I was going to suddenly gain weight.

[00:08:03] Those were things that I struggled with personally, but if you're struggling with any of these then it's really probably a good idea to maybe take a break from exercise for a minute.

[00:08:14] You know a few days or a couple of weeks and really begin to rebuild your relationship with movement and exercise by digging to the root of why you have this distorted relationship with exercise meaning what are your beliefs about exercise and movement.

[00:08:33] What do you believe is the reason why you need to exercise because the truth is until you undo some of these beliefs that are rooted in a diet culture way of thinking.

[00:08:46] Then you won't really be able to establish a joyful movement practice and so if you need a postpone movement for a few weeks or even months.

[00:08:59] It's really not going to make a big difference over a lifetime if the ultimate goal, if the reason why ultimately you want to have a movement practice is to build a lifelong commitment of joyful movement.

[00:09:16] It takes some time to really work through this going and shifting from this mindset of like I have to work out because I need to lose the weight or I got to burn off these calories or you know I have to do this in order to change the way my body looks, you know,

[00:09:34] trying to achieve that summer body or beach body or bikini body or whatever the nonsense that's going on out there.

[00:09:42] It's really hard to shift away from that and it takes some time to undo those beliefs to be able to establish a more helpful and helpful relationship with exercise.

[00:09:53] Because the world and diet culture perspective about movement and exercise is solely focused on, you know, either trying to change the shape of your body to promote weight loss or it's used as a form of punishment or penance for eating of her been food.

[00:10:11] And like I said, many of us coupled exercise with any of our dieting efforts, any of our weight loss efforts.

[00:10:19] And it was like we would start this new diet and then we would start this exercise plan at the same time.

[00:10:25] And it just wasn't going to be sustainable. It was again that all or nothing you're either 100% all in or you're out of it and so none of what we were doing was sustainable from an eating behavior or from a movement behavior.

[00:10:41] And if you've ever experienced this right, if you've ever been stuck in this all or nothing mindset or feeling like you can't ever just build something consistently.

[00:10:53] Then here are a couple of reasons why those efforts might not have worked in the past. One is that you tried to change too much too quickly.

[00:11:04] I mean, you made plans to change how or what you ate and go from minimal exercise to intense workouts. And anytime you go from zero to 60 in anything you're doing by trying to change all your habits at once. Usually ends in frustration and burnout and an inability to actually stick with it because it's just too much change all at one time.

[00:11:29] The second reason why you may not have been able to stick with an exercise routine in the past is that you really didn't enjoy the type of movement you were doing.

[00:11:39] You started following someone else's recommendations or preferences or you know some other trainer or fitness expert or social media influencers and you need to do this workout.

[00:11:50] But they weren't really things that you enjoyed so the motivation just wasn't there. I mean, this was a big one for me.

[00:11:58] I can remember going to the gym and thinking like with that diet culture mentality of like if I'm going to go workout, I have to burn the absolute most calories ever.

[00:12:08] And the only way I'm going to do that is if I do these like high intensity interval training classes or the only way I'm going to build muscle or be strong as if I like lift the heaviest place possible.

[00:12:19] And it was funny the number of times that I would find an excuse not to go to the gym or not to do that class and it wasn't because it was because I didn't enjoy the type of movement. And so when I was able to take that that pause and say, hey.

[00:12:34] How do I even want to move my body like what do I enjoy it really help me understand that I don't like hit workouts.

[00:12:42] Because I don't like jumping and I don't like burpees and I don't like mountain climbers, but I do like these other types of movement like a bar class or a Pilates class or like a dance cardio class.

[00:12:57] Those are all fun ways for me to move my body. And when I could realize and start to use my own preferences and use what would be fun for me as a motivation for my movement practice it became something that I could, you know, stick with.

[00:13:16] Definitely there's different seasons and different things that I go through like right now, I mean for a long while it's been a lot of just walking getting out and starting my day with a walk and sometimes that's all that that happens.

[00:13:28] But I also know that I have this knowledge right this is kind of where we talked about like with with the eating right taking our body preferences and our knowledge and moving and sticking them together.

[00:13:40] This is kind of where I am with my movement practice of okay, I probably need to incorporate some things that have you know more of a cardio aspect to it to get my heart rate up to you know promote my heart health and then I need to incorporate some shrink training to continue to maintain my muscle mass especially as I'm you know getting older and you know that's one of the first things that goes as we ages is our muscle mass.

[00:14:07] So being able to combine these preferences with that knowledge has really helped me establish a movement practice that I can stick with and knowing like okay, I can still go for a walk any day that I want but maybe I come home and I do a 20 minute like here's I said I didn't like hit workouts.

[00:14:26] But low impact hit classes are like my jam. I love them they are so amazing don't ever discount then just because you're not jumping.

[00:14:37] I found a 20 minute like low impact hit class that has been amazing for getting my heart rate up and it incorporates a little bit of strength training and then I really love bar classes and so that's where I you know focus on on my strength training is those bar classes but it's like okay.

[00:14:55] I kind of went off on a tangent here and I apologize but it's just this idea of I couldn't I couldn't stick with things in the past because they were all movement that I didn't enjoy right and then I also it was also frustrating to go to classes like this and having instructors.

[00:15:12] Make you feel bad if you weren't lifting the heaviest or if you weren't you know going as intense and everybody as everybody else and I really had a trainer during a class literally go get heavier racks off the way and put them in front of me and expect me to use them well that doesn't motivate me that didn't make me feel good so.

[00:15:35] Just know that if you have in stuck with it in the past chances are it's you weren't enjoying the type of movement you were doing and then kind of that third reason why you maybe haven't been able to stick with things in the past is that you were focused on.

[00:15:48] You're looking to do what changes versus building sustainable habits right you were looking to drop weight quick you were looking to lose an inches before the summer right so was those quick fixes those quick changes versus really building.

[00:16:03] Life long consistent sustainable habits and when you're focused on those quick fixes and those quick changes and you're not seeing results fast enough.

[00:16:12] You tend to give up because you're like, oh well this isn't working or I got to go try this right but when we're focused on building consistency and sustainability we can start to develop that patience and that perseverance to be able to stay the course.

[00:16:28] To know that okay I'm going to move my body in a way that feels good I want to incorporate this type of exercise and I'm not focused on these quick fixes or how the outward appearance changes.

[00:16:41] I'm focused on building these sustainable health habits because I know that if I incorporate some cardio it's going to promote my heart health and I know that if I incorporate some strength training it's going to help me build and sustain muscle mass.

[00:16:54] And I know that you know going for a walk is a really great way for me to start my day because I either get to go and walk with a friend and connect in that community piece or I could be outside in nature first thing in the morning and it's just a great way.

[00:17:09] That a great way for me to move my body right so that motivation is very very different than focusing on those quick fixes and those quick changes.

[00:17:19] So the reason why these things happen to us and we don't build the sustainability it like I said it says belief right it's really that relationship that you have with exercise and that's built on what your current beliefs are about movement and exercise.

[00:17:34] So there's some really common exercise mind traps that keep you stuck things like telling yourself well it's not worth it.

[00:17:42] That if it isn't a certain workout or if it isn't a certain amount of time then it doesn't count or you didn't do enough.

[00:17:50] Or that if you can't get in this prescribed time quota or specific workout then what's the point of doing it at all.

[00:17:57] But the reality is is that any movement that you do over the long run all adds up in it all counts right sometimes it's that 20 minute low impact hit class I mean.

[00:18:12] I feel I feel it the next day and it's it's a good type of feeling like wow I worked hard at this and it doesn't mean that I'm always keeping up and I'm always on the same pace as you know the instructor that's doing it but I can tell a difference for me and I know like hey doing that for 20 minutes was a great thing for me.

[00:18:33] I could I could fit that into my day and I know that if even if it's only like 20 minutes a day that adds up over the course of time versus saying okay well you know I can't really make it to the gym for an hour class today so that I'm just not going to do anything right like that doesn't add up over time it adds up to nothing over time right but we fall into this mind trap of if it's not a certain workout or if it's not a certain amount of time then it doesn't it's not worth it.

[00:19:01] Another mind trap we tend to fall into is I'm too busy right you have the best intentions but life gets in the way ultimately right we are busy or in our schedules are more jam packed than any other generation.

[00:19:16] But what's interesting is that most of our business is spent on sedentary activity and because of that exercise gets shoved aside as other details in life demand more time and more attention.

[00:19:30] So it's really understanding like how are you spending your time and and this can be real this can happen real fast right if we're thinking about every little bit adds up how many times a day are we busy scrolling social media when you know that 20 minutes that maybe we could turn the low impact network out with spent scrolling social media right so it's these minds that traps that we fall into of oh I'm just too busy or this has to get done.

[00:19:58] And instead of really focusing on hey how could I move my body today or how could I fit this in and you know just get a little bit more movement and trying to try to be creative with and working within our busy schedules kind of that third exercise mind trap that can get us is if it is that it doesn't count if I don't sweat.

[00:20:25] Right you tell yourself that if you aren't dripping and sweat then it doesn't count or that if you didn't burn this number of calories and it doesn't count.

[00:20:32] But it's interesting because the CDC and the American Academy of Sports Medicine ACSM concluded that just simply moving just moving simply moving 30 minutes most days out of the week whether you're sweating or not could cut the risk of heart disease in half.

[00:20:53] So the sweat factor is a non factor right we kind of trick ourselves in that if we didn't sweat then it didn't really count.

[00:21:01] But I challenge you to think about like how could you fit 30 minutes and throughout the day and maybe break it up right and that's kind of what I'm going to help you do when we kind of go through some steps on how we can really focus on.

[00:21:15] Creating a joyful movement practice and then I threw this mindset trap in there because it kind of came up today is the idea like how many times it.

[00:21:25] It happens to be Monday that I am recording this podcast, but this idea of it never miss a Monday right we hear it all the time never miss a Monday never miss a Monday.

[00:21:34] I mean what happens if you're sick on a Monday what happens if your kids sick on a Monday what happens if like.

[00:21:41] It just doesn't happen on a Monday like if you don't work out on a Monday is it going to be okay the answer is yes right we just kind of fall into these rules and and these posts and these social media influencers that like never miss a Monday well I mean guess what like I said today's a Monday.

[00:22:00] And I currently still haven't been able to go for a walk or you know fit in any sort of workout or movement in today's schedule just kind of kind of the way things have happened with my kids routine and my kid schedule.

[00:22:15] But that doesn't mean that it's going to like because I missed today that I'd like.

[00:22:21] Make it made or break my week the rest of my week that didn't quite come out I can't think of exactly how to phrase that but like just because I didn't work out today doesn't mean that.

[00:22:31] Like I'm not going to work out tomorrow, but I might know it worked out tomorrow because who knows what tomorrow is going to bring right but just this idea that we fall into these traps of these hard and fast rules.

[00:22:42] Of exercise these are the things that keep us stuck in that all or nothing mentality.

[00:22:47] Right so just don't fall into those traps so that it has to be all or nothing and said really focus on like okay today's Monday and for whatever reason today it just didn't really work out to fit movement in.

[00:22:59] But I'm going to look at tomorrow and say okay like maybe I need to shift these things around and I can fit in a walk at this time right just.

[00:23:08] It's really a matter of taking those beliefs really looking at those those beliefs are those beliefs really even serving you and moving towards you know a good thing a good habit or they keeping you stuck and then just deciding like is this something that's true and and I want to keep believing or what.

[00:23:28] Or what would help me what beliefs do I need to have that would help me establish a more sustainable joyful movement practice.

[00:23:36] And also just when we now like when we're talking about this all or nothing mindset right is like how many of us because this is where I was in my exercise beliefs when I was in the throws of dieting.

[00:23:50] Is that how many of us like would do everything to ensure that we got to work out in when we were focused on losing weight right.

[00:23:59] Like everything else went by the wayside but you got to you had to get that work out at work out in because if you didn't then you weren't going to lose the weight right and so so much of our time and our energy was focused on on that weight loss and making sure that you you know followed the plan and did everything possible.

[00:24:17] What happened for me is like I prioritized working out and following this meal plan over spending time with the Lord or spending time praying or spending time reading scripture.

[00:24:29] And like looking back on that I probably wouldn't have thought so at the time but like being at this point in my journey.

[00:24:41] I can really appreciate what first Timothy chapter four verse seven three tells us it says rather train yourself for godliness.

[00:24:52] What is a godly training is of some value godlyness is a value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

[00:25:03] I mean kind of said it in last week's episode two just those like moments from the Bible that are like that got punched and it's like oh man yeah I spent a lot of time focused on this bodily training for so long.

[00:25:16] I got my godly godliness training really went by the wayside and it's just this reminder of how the world can trick us like how the enemy shows up in these worldly perspectives that.

[00:25:28] And so that's just something that's good but the reality is is that for many of us it falls into that false idol and we end up.

[00:25:37] I think more of our time trying to worship this false idol or achieve these worldly standards that it really takes away from us focusing on our godliness training and spending time.

[00:25:53] I think our scripture and spending time and prayer the things that are really going to matter for us in our present life that are going to bring a value and the things that we're doing in living our vocations and our missions but then also in helping us with our eternal life.

[00:26:11] While I've changed my attitude about movement,

[00:26:14] and I've shifted to one of finding joy and movement

[00:26:18] and moving my body in a way that feels good

[00:26:21] and a way that makes me feel good.

[00:26:24] It's really this bigger shift of my whole life

[00:26:28] being more Christ-centered and prioritizing

[00:26:32] and putting those first things first

[00:26:34] and spending time and prayer and reading scripture.

[00:26:38] And in the past it would have been more focused

[00:26:41] on working out.

[00:26:42] Like I can remember why I struggled

[00:26:43] with having a morning routine for so long.

[00:26:45] It was that mentality of like,

[00:26:47] okay my morning routine meant I had to wake up at 5am

[00:26:50] and go workout.

[00:26:52] I didn't like that at all.

[00:26:54] But when I could shift and I shifted

[00:26:57] and I started to repy or ties things like waking up at 5am

[00:27:01] or 5'30 and starting my day by reading a devotional,

[00:27:05] spending some time and prayer journaling,

[00:27:08] like that I can do.

[00:27:10] That I can get out of bed for.

[00:27:12] And when I do that it makes it not much easier

[00:27:14] to like want to go on a walk or want to thick

[00:27:18] and fit in a workout, right?

[00:27:19] And so it's just interesting, right?

[00:27:22] And our lives are vastly different

[00:27:24] from when Jesus walked the earth.

[00:27:27] We have all these increases in technologies and comforts

[00:27:31] and we've become more and more sedentary

[00:27:33] because of these comforts and because of technology.

[00:27:36] So yes it's natural that we do have to make movement

[00:27:40] and exercise a priority as a way of supporting

[00:27:43] our overall well-being.

[00:27:45] But we have to look at that from that Christinerage perspective

[00:27:48] of that by caring for our body

[00:27:50] and making movement apart of the way

[00:27:53] that we care for our body

[00:27:55] that this Christinerage perspective

[00:27:57] with regards to movement and exercise

[00:27:59] allows us to focus on our health

[00:28:01] as a way of preparation and a way of ensuring

[00:28:06] that we are able to serve in the ways that we are called.

[00:28:11] And movement is just one of those tools

[00:28:13] or one way that we can prepare ourselves

[00:28:15] to live out our colleagues

[00:28:18] because really exercise is about more than calories burned.

[00:28:21] It's more than about inches lost

[00:28:23] and the amount of muscle bill

[00:28:25] or the changes in body composition

[00:28:27] or physical appearance.

[00:28:29] Like movement and physical activity alone

[00:28:32] is independently one of the biggest factors

[00:28:36] in promoting our health and disease prevention.

[00:28:39] Like just being able to move your body,

[00:28:42] like it said about 30 minutes a day,

[00:28:46] we'll have profound impacts on our overall health

[00:28:49] and well-being aside from anything else that we were doing.

[00:28:53] But we have to shift away from these misconceptions

[00:28:56] about movement and learn to build these lasting

[00:28:58] and sustainable habits that are focused on the appreciation

[00:29:04] and the gratitude and the joy that comes from moving our body

[00:29:08] that really promotes our health

[00:29:11] and a sense of preparedness for our unique vocations

[00:29:15] and missions and movement can be a part of that.

[00:29:18] So really what we can do to re-establish

[00:29:23] a joyful movement practice,

[00:29:26] I kind of have five things I wanna share on that

[00:29:28] and the first one is to make movement fun again.

[00:29:32] Like really take some time to think about

[00:29:33] the ways you would enjoy moving your body

[00:29:36] or ways that have been fun in the past

[00:29:38] and set up following someone else's recommendations

[00:29:41] of how you think you should exercise

[00:29:44] and start to focus less on those external fitness targets,

[00:29:48] like frequency, duration, calories burn,

[00:29:52] closing your rings, right?

[00:29:54] And start to focus more on how it feels in your body.

[00:29:58] Right, explore what increasing the pleasure factor

[00:30:02] it looks like in movement.

[00:30:05] So maybe that means listening to music or podcast

[00:30:08] or having a workout partner or time to disconnect

[00:30:11] from the chaos.

[00:30:13] Another way that we can make movement fun again is

[00:30:16] like diversity, try out a variety of activities

[00:30:19] to find what you like.

[00:30:21] Like you all the ideas are limitless

[00:30:23] from joining a Rex sports team

[00:30:26] to doing martial arts to adult dance classes

[00:30:31] or roller skating.

[00:30:32] I mean, pickle balls taken off, right?

[00:30:34] Like the ideas are limitless when it comes to being able

[00:30:37] to find something and find a way that feels good

[00:30:41] to move your body, but diet culture has really limited us

[00:30:46] in what seems acceptable, what they deem as appropriate

[00:30:50] and unacceptable when it comes to movement.

[00:30:52] So I wanna tell you to think outside the box.

[00:30:56] A number two is really focusing on how it feels

[00:30:59] in your body to move before during and after.

[00:31:04] Like are you excited to move in the way you planned?

[00:31:07] Like, if not, like get curious.

[00:31:09] Why are you choosing this particular activity?

[00:31:12] Is it because somebody else said to

[00:31:14] or could you find a way that would be more enjoyable?

[00:31:19] Asking yourself how it feels during the activity.

[00:31:21] Are you enjoying it?

[00:31:22] Is it painful?

[00:31:24] Is it challenging?

[00:31:25] Is it energizing?

[00:31:27] And then how does it feel after?

[00:31:29] How is it impacting your stress level,

[00:31:32] your energy level, your overall sense of wellbeing?

[00:31:36] Do you feel more empowered?

[00:31:38] More determined?

[00:31:38] Do you have a more positive outlook?

[00:31:41] Is it promoting your sleep?

[00:31:43] Are you sleep more soundly and wake up more refreshed?

[00:31:49] My third tip for being able to really establish

[00:31:52] a joyful movement practice is to decouple exercise

[00:31:56] from weight loss and focus on that movement

[00:31:58] as a way of taking care of yourself.

[00:32:00] Like I said, this is a go-optivity

[00:32:02] is the one consistent element associated

[00:32:04] with long-term health.

[00:32:06] It helps you to perfect preserve lean muscle mass

[00:32:09] and it positively affects your metabolism.

[00:32:14] And when you focus solely on weight loss,

[00:32:17] it minimizes the numerous health benefits of movement

[00:32:20] like increased bone strength, increased stress tolerance,

[00:32:23] decreased blood pressure, reduced risk for chronic diseases

[00:32:26] like heart disease diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension,

[00:32:29] and some forms of cancer.

[00:32:31] It can improve your HDL, which is your good cholesterol.

[00:32:35] It decreases your total cholesterol.

[00:32:37] It can increase your heart and lung strength.

[00:32:40] It helps you to improve your satiety cues

[00:32:44] and your appetite regulation.

[00:32:46] It improves your mood, it improves your learning and memory

[00:32:50] and it prevents or delays cognitive decline associated

[00:32:54] with aging.

[00:32:56] So look at all that myriad of health benefits

[00:33:00] and what have we been focusing on first so long?

[00:33:03] Oh well if I exercise, I'll lose weight

[00:33:05] or I'll lose inches or my body will look like this.

[00:33:08] And we're missing out on so many of these other health benefits

[00:33:13] that just establishing a joyful movement practice

[00:33:16] can help with your health promotion.

[00:33:20] So this is where the creative part gets in, right?

[00:33:23] So you may be thinking like, yeah,

[00:33:25] you're falling into that, that my intraph of like,

[00:33:27] I just don't have time, right?

[00:33:28] We have to be active in our daily living.

[00:33:31] And this is where creativity comes in.

[00:33:34] We have to get creative and look for ways to build movement

[00:33:37] into your day.

[00:33:38] Sometimes that looks like breaking it into small chunks, right?

[00:33:42] If the recommendation is to try to incorporate 30 minutes

[00:33:48] of movement, most days of the week,

[00:33:50] can you do like 10 minutes in the morning,

[00:33:53] 10 minutes in the afternoon, you know,

[00:33:55] 10 minutes in the evening, right?

[00:33:57] Take it and break it down into smaller chunks

[00:33:59] if you can't commit to a large block of time.

[00:34:02] This looks like things like parking further away

[00:34:05] in the parking lot or taking the stairs.

[00:34:09] One that's really helped me

[00:34:11] is working out during my kids' practices.

[00:34:15] You know, even if it's going for a walk

[00:34:17] or pulling up an at home workout when

[00:34:21] I'm in the parking lot while like daughter of that dance

[00:34:23] or while the boys are at karate, right?

[00:34:26] Working out during your kids' practices

[00:34:28] is a really great way to fit it in.

[00:34:30] But most of the time what happens

[00:34:32] is we're sitting in the car, scrolling social media, right?

[00:34:36] So this is where that creativity comes in.

[00:34:39] I like this one too, include movement

[00:34:41] while you're cooking dinner, while you're brushing your teeth

[00:34:45] or drying your hair.

[00:34:46] This looks like doing squats while you're brushing your teeth

[00:34:51] or doing calf-rails as while you're cooking dinner

[00:34:53] or, you know, high knees or whatever.

[00:34:58] Like just being able to include movement

[00:35:00] and the things that you're already doing,

[00:35:02] it adds up over time.

[00:35:04] And that's really the important part

[00:35:06] is that every little bit counts.

[00:35:09] And so we don't have to fall into this mindset

[00:35:11] if I don't have time or I'm too busy

[00:35:13] or it has to look a certain way.

[00:35:16] Just really get moving and start to feel that difference.

[00:35:20] And then the last thing I want to touch on is

[00:35:22] like how we can incorporate worship

[00:35:25] into our movement practice.

[00:35:27] Maybe that looks like starting your exercise

[00:35:30] or your workout routine with a prayer

[00:35:33] and offering your movement practice

[00:35:36] as an intention for somebody else.

[00:35:39] Or pray while you're walking.

[00:35:41] Like my best friend and I, we started this during lunch,

[00:35:44] we walk most mornings together.

[00:35:47] And so when we start our walk,

[00:35:49] we say a rosary together.

[00:35:51] And then we can touch out about everything after that.

[00:35:54] But we've incorporated it into our movement practice.

[00:35:57] And so praying while you're walking or running

[00:36:00] or your on a machine or whatever that looks like.

[00:36:05] Listening to a Christian music playlist.

[00:36:08] Like if you just go to Spotify and search

[00:36:11] like Christian Christian workout playlist,

[00:36:13] like there's ones for running

[00:36:14] and there's one for walking

[00:36:16] and there's some that are like upbeat.

[00:36:18] I'm gonna let you in on a little secret

[00:36:20] or this little goal that I have of like

[00:36:22] this bigger longer term vision

[00:36:25] of what I think would be really fun to do.

[00:36:28] So I have a bar teaching certification

[00:36:33] and the particular method that I am trained in

[00:36:37] is very much about that mind body connection,

[00:36:39] which really fuels like the intuitive eating part of all this.

[00:36:43] But I would really love to teach a bar class

[00:36:46] that all the music is just like really upbeat

[00:36:49] and fun Christian music.

[00:36:51] And I would call it bar empowered.

[00:36:54] So like just thinking about how much fun

[00:36:56] that that would be is something that motivates me.

[00:36:58] And so there's just you know,

[00:37:01] it's like a goal that I have,

[00:37:03] that's a one day to be able to teach that class.

[00:37:05] And maybe that's out of studio around here,

[00:37:07] or maybe that's something that I start online

[00:37:10] or maybe it's something that,

[00:37:13] establish my own thing.

[00:37:14] I don't know, but it's just this idea of like,

[00:37:17] hey, I would really love to incorporate

[00:37:19] this part of my faith into my movement practice.

[00:37:23] So really being able to think about what that looks like.

[00:37:28] Another way to incorporate worship into your movement practice

[00:37:31] is to end your workout with a prayer of Thanksgiving.

[00:37:34] To be able to thank God for the gift that your body is

[00:37:39] and the ability to be able to joyfully move your body

[00:37:43] and care for it in a way that feels good to it.

[00:37:48] So I wanna end this episode

[00:37:51] like with an invitation to you.

[00:37:53] I wanna hear from you.

[00:37:56] Either find me on Instagram,

[00:37:58] my handle is at Caratrata.

[00:38:00] You can find the link in the description below.

[00:38:05] Or join the community.

[00:38:06] You can find that link too.

[00:38:08] And D&M, like send me a message

[00:38:11] and let me know what ideas you have

[00:38:14] for incorporating worship into your movement practice.

[00:38:17] Cause I kinda shared a few

[00:38:18] but I really would love to hear

[00:38:20] like if this is something that you're doing

[00:38:22] or if it's something that you wanna do,

[00:38:24] what are some of the ideas that you have

[00:38:26] on how to incorporate your faith

[00:38:28] into your movement practice?

[00:38:30] So thanks again for joining me.

[00:38:33] I hope you have a wonderful day

[00:38:36] and I will hopefully be hearing from you

[00:38:39] either on Instagram or in the community

[00:38:41] in a DM letting me know how you are incorporating

[00:38:45] your faith into your movement practice.

[00:38:47] And I will see you on the next episode.

[00:38:50] We'll talk soon.

[00:38:51] Bye.

[00:38:55] Like, what you're hearing on the nearest to gloom podcast?

[00:38:58] We'd love for you to leave a rating and review.

[00:39:00] Not only does that help me to know what's resonating with you

[00:39:03] with the listeners

[00:39:04] but it also helps me reach more women seeking guidance

[00:39:07] on their wellness journey.

[00:39:08] Thanks again for all the support and encouragement.

[00:39:11] You sure know how to make a girl feel blood.

[00:39:13] See you next week.

[00:39:14] Now, go blue.