What Moves You?

Photo: Baby Viking Photography

While I haven’t been in an educational setting since wrapping up grad school, September always gives me back-to-school fever. These days I typically utilize it as a honing in on routine (an ideal every ADHD girlie loves the idea of and struggles to practice… or is that just me?).

With a July birthday and a need for absurd temps and sunshine, summer is ALWAYS social and celebratory for me, and with the delight of social plans inevitably comes indulging. This year featured a sponsorship-level quantity of Ron’s soft serve, bottles of champagne poolside in Vegas post-Gaga, at least a couple buttery lobster rolls, you get the idea. While I have absolutely no regrets—or try to practice that mentality consistently—September has me hankering to clean up my lifestyle a little bit and isolate some realistic goals for fall. 

My goals this season revolve around some of my lifts (it’s officially Swole September folks) but trying to plot my way through a new season of training plans for not just me but also my clients, brings me to my absolutely favorite question. The most simple, most infuriating, most illuminating… why?

We can train for so many reasons. One of my charming clients references “Michelle Obama arms” as her dream. Another wanted to be able to deadlift her partner’s bodyweight at one point in time, just to be able to do it (she crushed it ages ago btw).

It’s also really easy to get utterly lost in the woods of why you should move. 

What is one of our physical universal truths?

Human bodies are designed to move. From the pulse of our heart, our chest swelling as our lungs inflate, our basic metabolic functioning, to all of the cool and incredible things our combination of muscles, nerves, bones, joints can pull off in synchronicity, we have a basic biological need to move.

There’s also so much “fitness” white noise, propaganda, and nonsense every time we take a little trip down social media lane. The minute we start scrolling we are forced to question our movement habits and knowledge through flashy glimpses of others’ speed, stunt, and PR, which really doesn’t help most of us feel at home in a movement routine. 

If you’re feeling lost, frustrated, or needing to refocus, here’s what we often chat about in a typical intake session for weekly personal training at the Lab.

I might suggest investigating these topics as quick journaling prompts to help you retool your movement ethos…

Movement as Joy

• Can you remember moving your body in a way that felt good? (Inside or out of the gym setting! No wrong answers.)

• If you can isolate an example, what made it feel good/what sensations did you experience/what did you enjoy about it?

• Where do you move for fun outside of the gym?

Movement to Support Goals

• Can your isolate any movement goals—they could be functional, aesthetic, sport/performance specific, prehab/rehab specific, or even irrational/absurd? 

• If you aren't sure what you're working towards, do you feel healthy, strong, and capable?

• Where do you feel like your body lets you down, and what are you proud of?

Movement for Longevity

• How are you currently keeping your bones and muscles resilient, and also supporting your cardiovascular health? Supplements be damned, these (plus sleep, hydration, and nutrition) are what ensures we are doing our best to set ourselves up for a long healthy life.

• If not, are you neglecting strength training (signs might include thinking you’re weight training but making no progress for months or years)?

• Can you go up a couple flight of stairs or a hill without a dramatically increased heart rate and able to have a conversation?

What are YOUR movement goals this fall? Drop em below in the comments!!!

If you need help isolating your “why” or creating clear actionable steps to achieve it, let’s schedule a call!

In movement,

Kim

PS—Personal training is an expensive investment, but I'm offering September Spotchecks this year for anyone that's not a regular 1:1 client that feels stagnant and might be struggling to achieve their goals. These are quick 15-20 mini spots that have a consulting vibe.

Email info@humanmvmtlab.com for more info!