Learn how to Listen to Your Body’s Signals
When it comes to intuitive exercise, sometimes called intuitive movement, you will need to really learn and pay attention to your body’s signals. It’s not always easy, but before long, you will know exactly what form of movement your body wants at any given time, but also when it’s time for rest.
Here are some helpful tips to learn how to listen to your body’s signals.
Ask Yourself WHY You Want to Exercise
To listen to your body’s signals and understand what type of exercise would help you feel the best, you want to start with asking yourself why you want to exercise. The reason this is important is to make sure you want to move your body for the right reasons.
You will notice that you do this a lot throughout your intuitive living journey. When it comes to health, you have to listen to your body’s signals and trust your intuition. Before you start an exercise, pay attention to what your mind is telling you and why you are choosing to exercise in that moment. You can even write it down if that helps.
Do a Full Body Scan
The full body scan is one of the best ways to start tuning in to your body’s signals. Your body tells you a lot throughout the day, but if you aren’t paying attention, you will never notice. This is where the full body scan comes in.
Start your body scan at the top of your head. Pay attention to each part of your head, face, neck, and shoulders, then work your way down. You want to try to feel each body part as you mentally move down your arms, wrists and hands, your chest, back and torso, your legs, all the way down to your feet.
Do you have muscle cramps? Are your joints aching to be stretched? Do you feel like you want to work on your muscles, or do some cardio for energy?
Use Mindfulness
Mindfulness is going to help you with that full body scan, but also just to be more aware of how you feel during different times of the day. Mindfulness should be considered a practice, where you do it a little each day, and gradually get better at it. Before too long, you will be focusing on how you feel consistently during each activity and moment of your day, without really having to think about it.
Does a Thought or Activity Make You Feel Pumped?
Another easy way to know what kind of exercise your body wants or needs is to think about any form of movement, and see how it makes you feel or where your thoughts go. Sometimes, you might think of an exercise, like Pilates, and it sounds uncomfortable and miserable. That’s how you know it’s not the one to do right now. But maybe when you think of doing kickboxing, it sounds exciting and like it would give you energy. That is a good indication that you have found the one to participate in at that moment.
