why I don’t “workout”.
Working out was an integral part of my life. I have always been an athlete; from the moment I could run and jump, there was a feeling of fulfillment and adrenalin that fueled me. As my athleticism grew, so did my goals and expectations, and working out was a huge component. I was always striving to be, and do better, and push harder than the day before.
If I wasn’t on the playing field I was in the gym, lifting heavier to run faster. When I was 20- 25 years old I was pretty fit, running with some of the top female rugby players in Canada, and keeping up!
When I “retired” from rugby I wanted something similar, a physical movement where I would work just as hard to stay fit, be healthy, pain free and of course, keep my athletic ability.
I joined a Crossfit box and started playing squash. Over the years I pushed myself harder and harder although still young, my body was getting older and kept getting stiffer and stiffer. My old injuries started surfacing, my pain became chronic, my movements became limited, and I felt restricted, and I was at higher risk of injury with the exercise I was doing.
Despite the ongoing treatment of massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractor and physiotherapy, nothing ever seemed to help my pain. I’d just shrug it off and say to myself “you gotta be tough, push through it.”, “ you’ll never win if you don’t train hard”. (I wasn’t even training for anything!)
I was introduced to iyengar yoga, Vipassana meditation and Movant. These wonderful discoveries led me to feel and listen to something deep inside of me say, something from my heart and mind “this is a better way to think and move”.
I realized that my physical expectations were self-sabotaging me and letting go of them helped me connect to my body in a way that I had never experienced. These revelations seemed to happen in nature, reiterating the connection I had with mother earth as she guided my feet in the right direction.
As a registered massage therapist, I thought I knew how to “fix” myself, but I realized that was not the solution. I needed the help of evolutionary thinkers, people who looked at fitness from a longevity and a sustainable standpoint. A way that you can be strong, fit, and useful for your ENTIRE life.
Learning to listen to what movements my body wanted and needed, listening to my body when it wants to rest, and incorporating proper nutrition was revolutionary. My meditation practice has connected me with almost every single muscle in my body (I’m still discovering more!) My fitness routine is not just a workout, it is an intuitive physical competency regimen.
If you asked me “would you consider yourself a better athlete today than you would if you were 25 again? “I’d say “Yes!”
Although there is always room for performance improvement, I am no longer suffering from limitations, chronic pain or fear of injury. I feel safe in my body, strong, free and healthy!
The next question is always “well if you don’t work out what do you do?”
I combine my knowledge and experience of being a competitive athlete and the Movnat Philosophy.
Link here: MovNat
This mindful approach has me connect and listen to my body, an intuition approach that leads me to the exercise that is right for me at that moment. It can be from hill runs, lifting and carrying rocks on the beach or logs in the forest to dancing around in my living room. I can’t say that I follow any hard structured routine like waking up and going to the gym. I have reframed working out to “playing and adventure”. This allows me to be in a mindset of joy, excitement, and freedom rather than “ugh, gotta get up and workout because I HAVE TOO”. We don’t “HAVE TOO” do anything, we should “WANT TOO'“, this comes from connecting and listening to our body through movement. If you can’t move efficiently and effectively you might miss your chance at body freedom!
This way of moving and thinking is different, it’s new, and anything new always has an adjustment period. There may be gaps, pitfalls, and frustrations when you are first starting. My mission is to help people unearth the potential within themselves, I become the bridge that leads people to connect with their bodies and discover what they are truly capable of! I help empower physical competence in a safe and easy way for everyone to reach their full potential and athletic goals.
Find out for yourself, book a movement discovery call and we can chat about how I can help you!
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Be Well,
Lindsey
I have made movement a part of my life in such a way that I will never have to “workout” again! WOOHOO!
