When exercise stops being punishment

for this client, exercise used to be a hammer she would “beat herself over the head with” now, it’s used to ‘build houses"‘

The Same Tool, Use a Different Way

“you know what I just thought of?”
a mover recently said during a session.
“how for so long, I’ve been using exercise like a tool…
a hammer per se 🔨
but for the longest time,
I used it to beat myself over the head with,
in a destructive way-
To punish.
To control.
To shame.

“and now, she said, “I’m using it for so many other things.”
Not only what it was intended for (hammering nails, or removing old ones)
but for:

• stress relief

• emotional regulation

• strength… and so much more 🚀

“I’m recognizing that it’s always been the same tool…
but how i’ve been using it has completely transformed.” 🔀

⬆️ and that’s what stopped me in my tracks 🐾

Sometimes the Tool Isn’t the Problem

A hammer can build a shelf, repair a home or create something useful.
AND it can also cause harm when used against the very person holding it.

Exercise also has similarities as a tool.
The movement itself is not automatically healing or harmful.
What often matters is the relationship surrounding it 🫧

Many people were taught to use exercise as:

Why So Many People Learn to Fear Exercise

Many people were taught to use exercise as:

• punishment for what they ate

• repayment for resting

• proof of discipline

• a way to shrink themselves

• a means of control etc.

No wonder so many people hate exercise.
Sometimes what they hate
is not movement itself,
but they way they were taught to use it. 📓

What Changes When Movement Becomes Support Instead?

So what changes when we learn a different way to use the tool?
We find that we can use movement it for:

• stress relief

• reconnecting with our body

• wanting to feel a sense of steadiness

• care and joy etc.

Same tool 🔨 but now it’s building something rather than destroying something.

And I want to name something important:
she shared this shift after 40+ sessions, meaning it didn’t happen overnight.
There wasn’t one magical workout that changed everything.
It was many sessions of practicing:

• kindness

• compassion

• and self-trust

Compassionate Consistency Takes Time

Sometimes consistency WITH compassion is uncharted territory-
and giving ourselves enough time to learn that new way forward may be exactly what we need most.

so, how are you currently using this tool?
As always-I’d love to hear back from you!