As a trainer, there’s nothing quite like seeing a woman level up her life and empower herself through fitness. Moving your body has huge potential to shift your mood, how you feel about yourself, what you believe is possible, and what you’re capable of, creating positive ripple effects around you.
Ultimately, all I want for you is to feel like the most empowered, strong, confident version of yourself and this is why I think it’s important to talk about a piece of advice that is thrown around so frequently these days – the art of listening to your body.
There are so many times in my life when listening to my body has been essential for my overall wellbeing; when I’ve been suffering from endo pain, when I was pregnant, when I was too sore to do a single push-up after having a baby, or when I was recovering from pneumonia. But something people don’t often talk about is understanding the difference between what you want and what you need.
Knowing the line between the two can mean the difference between smashing your goals or never getting started.
Be honest with yourself
Absolutely, there are going to be days when your body genuinely needs rest. We’re not machines! Work, motherhood, studying, hormones, injuries, health conditions, stress, or even an intense workout routine can all take a toll, and you can’t pour from an empty cup. But it can be incredibly easy to use “listening to your body” as a cop out when you’re actually just not feeling that motivated.
Listening to your body is important, but so is listening to your mind – get real with yourself about what’s holding you back and don’t let a lack of inspiration become an excuse for never taking action towards your goals.
As a woman with endo, an athlete and a mother, I have days where I’m physically drained and need to rest. I’m human. As a mother of two and a businesswoman, I also have days where everything just feels too much and I’m mentally drained. Moments like this are when you want to chill out, but I’m sure there are times where if you were honest with yourself, you could easily give 110% in a workout and you’d finish feeling a million times better for it.
Exercise for energy
This exact topic came up recently in a conversation with my friend and fellow trainer, Katie Martin. Katie often has that similarly ‘drained’ feeling at the end of the day, after seeing clients. Although this part of her day isn’t physically hard, being mentally “on” for so long means she gets home and her energy slumps. What Katie has realised, though, is that this feeling is different from physical fatigue, and conversely exercise is exactly what she needs to feel refreshed even if all she wants to do is sit on the couch.
So many people think you lose energy when you work out, but exercise can help you gain energy. If your workouts leave you feeling drained and depleted, I highly recommend trying a few different training styles to understand how different styles of movement make you feel. When you’ve nailed a good routine and have found the right training style for you, every session can be a way to reenergise your body and mind.
Rest isn’t for the weak
When you do need to prioritise rest, take a break or pump the brakes. There’s no shame in that. Our bodies and minds need plenty of sleep to thrive, and you won’t see progress with your workouts if you don’t allow your muscles to recover. In fact, there are many seasons in life when you’ll need to dial back your training in order to feel your best.
What I advocate for is getting to know your own body and mind so well you can find the perfect balance between challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone, and giving yourself enough grace to slow down when you need to. If you want to feel like the best version of yourself and create sustainable, feel-good habits, both are essential.
You’ve got so much potential and I want you to make sure that “listening to your body” helps you to unleash it, not ignore it.
Level up your recovery
On days when you’re feeling fatigued or have post-workout aches, restorative movement can be exactly what you need to give some love back to your body and recharge your batteries. All you need to get started is 12 minutes and a short resistance band!
Your 12-Minute Low-Impact Recovery Workout
