Ever gotten really intense about fitness for a period of time (I see you, chronic January resolution makers) only to give up feeling frustrated, exhausted and resenting your overpriced Lululemon leggings?

Ever done a "30 days to a six pack” type program only to feel frustrated that your body didn’t change all that much- or worse- if it did, that you’re still not happy with it?

Yup. Same.

I have good news though- you are not the problem, despite marketing that continuously tells us we are in effort to sell us stuff.

Yes, exercise can change your appearance. This isn’t groundbreaking information. What the wellness industry is usually slow to tell us is that exercising for this reason and this reason alone is the quickest way to burn out from moving your body. When we only work out to lose weight, we’re more likely to pick ourselves apart and disconnect from our bodily intuition. Every time you ignore a hunger cue or push through pain in a workout makes it harder to hear what our bodies are telling us. This also makes it more likely to get injured, btw- which is uh- not a good thing. When you only have “be smaller” as motivation to workout or as your measurement of success in fitness, it’s harder to notice things like your improved mood, sleep, sex life, back pain, and overall vitality. If the real purpose of exercise is actually to feel more confident, more strength, more energy, more….WELL, isn’t ignoring all that antithetical to our goals?

I’m not saying you’ll never have days when motivation isn’t an issue, or to just lay on the couch all the time and say forget it.

AU CONTRAIRE.

I’m saying when you cultivate non body image related reasons to work out- your practice gets richer, and movement becomes part of your identity. When we develop intrinsic motivation like that- THAT’s when we’re actually more likely to stick with it- and bonus points, your physical AND mental health are being taken into account this way. If you haven’t joined already- check out my 14 Day Self Love Workout Challenge that culminates on Valentine’s day and start to shift your relationship with movement!

Conclusion

If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut with exercise- try broadening the scope a little bit. It’s ok to want to change your body, it doesn’t make you “bad” at body positivity. You’re entitled to complete and total bodily autonomy- but making exercise feel like punishment for food consumed or a number on the scale is not a hot ticket to self compassion- and if you dread exercise you’re less likely to do it and get all the benefits (like, preventing Alzheimer’s!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!).

If you’re looking for workouts that help you separate the diet culture junk and focus on how you FEEL- I’ve got you covered with Helen Phelan Studio, my on demand and livestream library of over 200 workouts that will make you stronger and help you learn to LOVE exercise. There’s a free 10 day trial here!