There are lots of different terms we can use to describe the way we move our bodies. Exercise. Movement. Working out. Training. If you’re familiar with Health At Every Size or Intuitive Eating you’ve probably heard of the concept of “joyful movement”. In many cases, the term “movement” is favored over “exercise” because many people have a negative association with the latter. Especially if you’ve been one to use it as punishment in the past.

At the same time, I think the term “joyful movement” is often misunderstood.

When I first heard of it, I imagined Julie Andrews twirling in a meadow, Sound Of Music style. I was under the impression that the only way to do joyful movement “right” was for it to look like that. Or to “take walks and do gentle yoga”, because that’s what everyone else seemed to like. I mean, yoga is great, but it’s not the only thing. And also. . .

I live in Chicago and I hate being cold. It’s gray and cold here. There is nothing “joyful” about taking a walk here for at least 8 months out of the year.

In any case, I often feel like the anti-diet community looks down on the fitness industry. A lot. And I get it. There are a lot of things about it that really suck. AND I also know that when you strip away diet culture BS, there’s still a lot of good to be found in it. I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and say that there’s even enjoyment to be found in doing hard things. There are reasons that someone might want to train with a purpose. Today, I want to talk about what that might look like.

So what’s the difference between “training” and “movement”?

I recently got to thinking about this while I was on vacation a few weeks ago. Going to the gym to “train” didn’t happen for me, but I did get a lot of “movement” in. I was surfing (or at least trying to) when I really started to appreciate the fact that I strength train regularly. I saw the carryover it had, helping me do this super fun activity at the beach. For example: Carrying your surfboard on your head down to the water (that’s what you do!) is like an overhead press and weighted carry. Dragging it down the sand and into the water is like pulling a sled. Paddling out into the waves is similar to doing rows or back extensions. Standing up on a surfboard is kinda like doing the kick through part of a turkish getup and then standing on a bosu ball. Yes, this makes me sound like a stereotypical “functional fitness” geek. 😉 Oh well.

I never would have been able to do this movement that brings me joy, if I didn’t also sometimes train in a way that is slightly less fun.

That opinion might make me really unpopular among my fellow HAES professionals. And here’s the deal: I’m not saying you have to surf, or hike, or do anything you don’t wanna do, on vacation or otherwise. If you want to sip Mai Tai’s and eat Maui onion chips in a lounge chair instead, I support you 100%.

In fact, if you’re just starting out on your journey to a better relationship with exercise, you might need to give yourself permission to chill like that for awhile.

But eventually, you might want to start to explore different types of movement again. And if and when you do, I fully believe that putting some intention behind the way you train could make your choice of “joyful movement” so much more enjoyable. It’s also likely to help you avoid injuries. So let’s talk about how it might apply to you.

“Movement” vs. “Training”

“Movement” is exactly what you think it is. It’s moving your body. In all kinds of ways. It’s a dance class. Gardening. Taking leisurely bike ride. Playing fetch with your dog. And yes, twirling in a meadow. Many times the it’s the things that we do for fun. Often, we do it and don’t even realize that we are because it’s just a part of how we live our lives.

“Training” comes in many forms depending on your activity of choice, especially if you are an athlete. You could train for a marathon if you’re a runner. Train to get ready for auditions if you’re a professional dancer. But for all intents and purposes of this post, when I talk about “training” today, I’m mostly referring to strength training. Going to the gym and doing things like squats or push-ups. Doing specific exercises in a strategic way because you’re trying to achieve a specific goal.

This is where things can start to get sketchy.

I’m going to encourage you to explore nuance and think in shades of gray. I’m also going to encourage you to think about whether you might have some privilege when it comes to the ways that you can move your body. Because none of this is a given, or a moral obligation. Diet culture often pushes us to work out as a means to an end. To “burn” off fun foods. To post that before/after photo (I hate those). You can pursue all different kinds of fitness goals beyond the aesthetic, but in any case I’m always gonna encourage you to ask yourself “why” you’re chasing a certain outcome.

Would you still be pursuing the same goals and doing the same exercises if there were a 0% chance that it would help you lose weight or change your appearance in any way?

We also need to be careful that we’re not measuring our worth by the amount of weight we can lift or what our bodies can do. Because that’s no better than obsessing over the number on the scale or your jeans size. It’s just a different flavor of the same $hit sandwich. In any case, now that we’ve gotten most of that messy stuff cleared up, I have to be honest. . .

Sometimes I think we expect too much of ourselves when it comes to “joyful movement”.

We think that if we’re not beaming from ear to ear the entire time, that we’re doing it wrong. It absolutely doesn’t have to be miserable or shameful (aka Jillian Michaels screaming at you while you try not to fly off the back of the treadmill). It also doesn’t have to feel like Lizzo herself just showed up to sing and play the flute for your own personal dance party. We can all probably think of some sort of exercise that we don’t mind doing or even kind of enjoy. AND I think we can all agree that it’s not the same kind of fun as a night out with friends or a trip to Disney World. That’s ok!

Sometimes it means we do the hard thing, so that we can do that we can do the fun thing.

To be clear, I’m not talking about earning your food here. But you might choose to do lunges or step-ups at the gym so that you can get through that long hike with your partner without feeling so winded. Maybe you do kettlebell swings so that you have more power in your jumps in a contemporary dance class. You might do deadlifts so that you don’t throw out your back lifting a bag of dog food later. Or do your physical therapy exercises so that you can recover from an injury or manage chronic pain.

Or maybe you’re like me and actually enjoy the entire experience of lifting weights?

It’s ok for your version of joyful movement to be a little more gritty. Or not. Whatever you like is ok. And regardless of how you feel, it’s all part of being an adult. It’s your decision. You can choose to stay up til 3am every night. You can choose to brush your teeth or not. But at the end of the day, sometimes we choose to do something that we feel kind of “meh” about, because it helps us to live the kind of life we want to live. The important thing is that your choice is aligned with your values, and what’s important to YOU as a whole person.

That being said, there are absolutely ways we can make “training” more enjoyable.

That depends on you and your idea of a good time. Seriously. A lot of fitpros swear by creating games involving balls. But guess what? I am terrible at catching balls and don’t think they’re fun at all. I also think burpees feel joyful AF. My idea of fun is unique to me. So is yours! Thinking about what you enjoyed as a kid is a great place to start. Some other simple ideas: Do it with friends. Play your favorite music. Try something novel and new. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Paint polka dots on your kettlebell? The important thing is, you have to ask yourself what YOU think is fun, and how you might incorporate that.

There is a time and place for both “training” AND “movement”.

It doesn’t have to be either/or. But it can be a process to strike a balance that feels good for you. Typically I find that the journey usually looks something like this.

Before: Working out obsessively.

After: Giving up intentional exercise altogether.

After “After”: Exploring “joyful movement” and starting to repair your relationship with exercise. Because in spite of the bad rap it sometimes gets, there are still some good things to be found from “training” the gym.

When you’re ready, that’s what I’m here to help you figure out. <3

Wanna get better at push-ups? Whether you’re trying to get your first one without using your knees, training to beat the entire patriarchy in a push-up contest, or just create better memories around push-ups than 5th grade gym class gave you, this program will help get you there.