Intuitive movement: What it is and 8 tips to embrace it
Written by Isabel Vasquez, RD, LDN
Physical activity had loads of health benefits. To name a couple, it helps our bodies to maintain mobility and gets our endorphins (the happy, feel-good hormones) pumping.
An intense gym workout isn’t the only way to reap these benefits. Movement should feel energizing and bring us joy, and an intense gym workout certainly doesn’t do that for everyone.
Another way to view exercise is as intuitive movement (aka intuitive exercise)—a form of movement guided by interoceptive cues rather than rigid workout regimens. It runs parallel to intuitive eating because a healthy approach to movement can mirror a healthy approach to food. In fact, movement makes up the ninth principle of intuitive eating.
In this blog, learn what intuitive movement is, the benefits of being active, and how to embrace intuitive movement.
What is intuitive movement?
Intuitive movement is engaging in physical activity using interoceptive cues to honor your body, rather than external tracking devices or strict workout plans. Interoception is defined as “sensing internal cues from your body.” When it comes to physical activity, interoception could include:
Sensing thirst and taking a water break
Noticing the way your muscles engage during strength training
Feeling where your muscles are being stretched during yoga class
Making modifications or customizations to moves when needed
Taking rest days when your body feels fatigued
Taking deep, mindful breaths while working out
Experimenting with new forms of movement if your go-to is no longer serving you
Nourishing yourself before and after movement for optimal recovery
Being present with your body while being active
As kids, we’re often super active (especially if you grew up before the internet was what it is now)! Yet as kids, we weren’t thinking about burning calories or getting “toned”. We were just having fun! Imagine if movement could feel like that now.
Well, good news; it is totally possible to rediscover that relationship to movement. Intuitive movement allows you to connect with your body, honoring its needs and wants.
What are the health benefits of intuitive movement or intuitive exercise?
Research shows that physical activity helps promote physical and mental health. Some research-backed benefits of physical activity are:
Increased bone and muscle strength
Increased heart and lung strength
Improved mood
Improved sleep
Decreased blood pressure
Reduced risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension
Improved mobility
Improved cholesterol levels
Improved learning and memory
Another benefit often reported is improved confidence, whether you’re dancing it out in Zumba or building strength in the gym. Plus, trying new activities lets you experience the beginner’s learning curve where you’re constantly improving and reaching new, exciting milestones.
Signs you could benefit from embracing intuitive movement
Are there forms of movement that have intrigued you but you didn’t do them because you thought they “wouldn’t count”?
Do you get stressed about missing a workout?
Do you workout despite injury or illness?
Do you miss out on social events so you can workout?
Does your current form of exercise leave you feeling depleted?
Are you completely disconnected from your body during workouts?
Are you forcing yourself to do a type of exercise that you hate?
Do you usually struggle to find the motivation to exercise?
If you answer yes to any of those questions, it may be time to re-evaluate your relationship with exercise and invite more intuitive movement into your life.
Of course, answering yes occasionally may be normal. For example, sometimes you may struggle with motivation, but you should be able to rest when you need to, feel good overall after your workouts, and experiment with different forms of movement.
Tips for practicing intuitive movement
Ditch the fitness tracker
About 20% of Americans use a smart watch or fitness tracker regularly, according to Pew Research Center. These can track your heart rate, stress levels, sleep quality, calories burned, steps taken, and more. That’s a lot of tracking!
Sometimes, this tracking can become obsessive. Even if it doesn’t become obsessive, it’s easy to latch on to the numbers.
Many people find that they become fixated on reaching a certain step count or closing the ring on their Apple watch. Ultimately, these trackers can take you totally out of your body and make you focus on an external impetus for moving.
As a result, you may not rest when you need to or you may do workouts you don’t actually like just because the tracker says they burn more calories or get in more steps. Ditching the tracker can help tune out the external noise, and help you tune in to your body.
Consider your intention
If you’re currently engaging in physical activity, think about your intention behind being physically active. Are you mainly focused on burning calories and losing weight? If so, it’ll probably be tough to practice intuitive movement. You’ll be stuck abiding by a specific, rigid plan rather than being able to honor your body’s cues!
Instead, connect with other intentions for movement. Some examples of more empowering intentions for intuitive movement could include building strength to carry your groceries inside easier, becoming more flexible to prevent injuries, getting fresh air, relieving stress and tension, or building community.
For many of our clients, intentions such as these make for way more sustainable movement practices and far less shame. They’re rooted in the present— in feeling better in your here-and-now body—rather than suffering in the present (by doing workouts you hate) for some potential future outcome (a smaller, fitter body).
Find affirming fitness spaces
While this can be a tough ask, diet culture-free fitness spaces are out there. Lauren Leavell, a body positive fitness instructor, compiled a list of accessible, inclusive fitness resources that’s a great place to start.
You could also create your own safe space by starting a walking group or inviting a trusted friend or family member to do some sort of physical activity with you. Maybe you get outside and play tennis or take a group fitness class together. Even if you don’t end up liking the instructor, bringing a trusted loved one could help you feel less isolated.
Experiment with new forms of movement
If you’ve been working out to lose weight for a while, it may become hard to detangle weight loss from exercise, especially the type of exercise you’re used to doing.
For that reason, trying different types of exercise can help break that association and invite joy into your movement practice.
Some creative ideas for physical activity include:
Rock climbing
Kayaking
Dancing
Roller skating
Pickleball
Gardening
Hula hooping
Walking around the mall
Swimming
Scuba diving
The options are truly endless, so get curious and have fun! And don’t feel tied to one type of movement; you can always mix things up. It could even help you strengthen and stretch different muscle groups!
Allow yourself to rest
Rest is a key part of caring for your body. Incorporating rest days into your week is necessary for your body to repair itself from your physical activity. If you just grind and grind, you won’t reap the same benefits of movement because your body won’t have time to heal.
If you’re super sore, not interested in a type of exercise you usually love, or sick or injured, that could be a sign you need a rest day.
Embrace unstructured forms of movement
Depending on what your days look like, you may already be active through doing household chores, playing with your kids, walking around the neighborhood to get fresh air with your family (if that’s accessible in your neighborhood), having solo dance parties, or working a physically intense job.
These all benefit your health, even if you’re not carving out a chunk of time to get in a structured workout. You do not have to engage in a structured form of exercise to reap the benefits of movement!
Check in with yourself before, during, and after working out
Before, during, and after movement, consider doing a light body scan. Notice how your body feels. Is there tightness or tension in certain areas? Does your body feel heavy or light? Do you feel your heartbeat? Are there parts of your body you could stand to soften and relax? Is your body fatigued or energized?
Checking in with your body in this way can help inform the kind of movement or rest that you need. It can also help get you out of your head and into your body, which could help relieve stress.
Use physical touch to connect with your body sensations
Hear me out. Placing your hand on your body while working out can foster a great sense of connection and grounding.
Place your hand on your chest and feel your heart beat, or place your hand on your belly and feel your breath. You could place your hand on the muscle that’s being worked or even give yourself an encouraging hug.
It may sound corny, but it can really help build a greater connection to yourself and your body.
Final thoughts
Adopting an intuitive movement practice takes, well, practice. Intuitive movement is about using your body’s cues to guide physical activity, rather than following a strict, weight-loss-driven workout plan. It helps immensely in healing your relationship with exercise and your body.
To start embracing intuitive movement, you may want to try a new form of movement, check in with yourself during your workouts, and find affirming fitness spaces. And remember, rest is a key part of an intuitive exercise practice!
For more support, we offer a 3-part registered dietitian-led masterclass on intuitive eating to help you improve your relationship with food, your body, and movement.
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