Hoping to be More Active in the New Year? A Few Tips to Consider When Integrating Physical Activity:

Exercise can have a powerful impact on physical and mental well-being by improving a person’s self-esteem and mood and decreasing stress. But integrating physical activity can be a daunting challenge.

Many people have been burned by diet culture, which often uses exercise as a means of weight manipulation. Furthermore, diet culture has convinced us that exercise and weight loss endow a moral high ground associated with healthism. Healthism is an ideology that frames health as a moral duty. Diet culture and healthism are best buddies.

A person in the process of healing their relationship with food and their body may be introducing exercise for the first time or reintroducing it after taking a break from excessive exercise. Whether you’re contemplating the possibility of incorporating physical activity or are ready to start moving, this article offers tips to help you maintain confidence while joining the fitness world. At the end of the day, you get to choose what you want to do and where you want to do it.

Find Your “Why”

Some people integrate exercise to reach personal health or ability goals, such as blood sugar management or improved balance. Another benefit may be finding a “third space” to make friends and connect with a community. Others want to celebrate their body’s abilities or simply do something fun. Consider your priorities and determine whether they align with your recovery self rather than your dieting self.

Evaluate Your Relationship with Exercise

It can be very difficult to disconnect exercise from weight loss. These thoughts may remain present even deep into anti-diet work. If you’re unsure about your “why,” try checking in with your relationship to movement. Some questions to ask yourself include:

“Would I be devastated if I missed a week of this movement due to injury, illness, or vacation?” Injuries and illnesses, while hopefully infrequent, can be inevitable. It is important to give the body rest and adequate nutrition during these times to recover efficiently and reduce the likelihood of re-injury.

“Will I intentionally eat less on days I don’t work out?” The body still requires nourishment on rest days. Honor hunger cues when present. If hunger cues are still a learning curve, aim to eat adequately according to your treatment team’s recommendations.

“Do I often think about calorie burning when I think about exercise?” Obsessing over calories, steps, “closing circles,” workout days, or rest days can turn exercise into a battle rather than a fun activity. If calorie burning or perfectionism is the sole purpose of exercise, it may not be the right time to integrate an intense routine. Gentle physical activity can challenge the belief that exercise must be arduous or calorie-burning to be worthwhile.

“Am I dreading every workout?” Overall, physical activity should feel enjoyable or energizing. Sometimes starting exercise can feel dreadful (for example, leaving the house again after a long workday). The body also takes time to settle into the rhythm of movement. However, repeating “This sucks, I hate this” throughout the entire activity does not support a positive relationship with movement.

Answering “yes” to several of these questions may indicate a need for additional support when integrating movement. Reaching out for guidance can help you start an exercise routine safely and sustainably.

Play Around with Activities You Might Like

The world is your oyster! There is no lifetime commitment to one type of movement, especially since activities can differ widely. Below are examples of different forms of movement:

	Individual	Group
Higher Intensity (labored breathing, higher heart rate)	Running/Jogging/Powerwalking Dancing alone Swimming Heavy weightlifting Fast cycling Calisthenics Taibo Fast rollerblading Using the stairs HIIT	Dance classes Running groups Basketball Tennis Spinning classes Zumba classes Gymnastics Martial Arts Pickleball Rowing
Lower Intensity (steady, unlabored breathing; you can talk but you probably can’t sing)	Walking Cycling Stretching Playing with a dog Rollerblading Weightlifting Resistance bands	Yoga classes Pilates classes Golf Tai chi Walking club Community gardening Rock climbing

Choosing an activity to try tomorrow does not mean you must do it 3–4 days per week for six months to make it “worth it.” Trying something new is not a lifelong commitment. Life thrives on variety!

Evaluate Your Tolerance for Diet Culture

Weight loss and exercise have been tightly linked in our culture, so it’s possible that people in fitness spaces may unknowingly engage in diet culture. Evaluating your tolerance means assessing your resilience when faced with this rhetoric. Resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity or stress- and unwanted food and body talk can be stressful.

Some fitness spaces describe themselves as body-positive or weight-neutral. Even so, patrons may still attend with weight-loss goals. Body-positive spaces aim to provide an environment where people of all body sizes can exercise safely and comfortably, regardless of their goals. If you consistently feel uneasy and a space never feels comfortable enough, trust your instincts. You deserve to move comfortably through the world.

Listen to Your Body

In its wisdom, the body sends signals that indicate discomfort or pain. Some activities may involve temporary discomfort until you find your rhythm. Pain, however, is an intense alarm signal that limits activity. Listen to your body’s cues and trust yourself to rest when needed. Many instructors offer movement modifications- use them. If they don’t, ask. When you remove morality from physical ability, movement becomes more enjoyable, and your body will thank you.

---

There are many physical and psychological benefits to physical activity. I hope these tips offer guidance for introducing exercise in a safe and meaningful way. If you find that you have a complicated relationship with exercise, consider reaching out to a dietitian for the support you deserve!

-Alexis