Movement Snacks: Exercise can actually be fun!
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Hey Reader, This Friday, my kids were home because even though there are just 7.5 days left in the school year, apparently they needed a Friday off. I had a ton of work to do, including filming a few classes for my online studio. My youngest, 6 years old and bored out of her mind, asked if she could "teach with me." Initially I said no. In fact, she interrupted me filming a class and I sort of lost my temper. Not my finest moment and I instantly felt guilty. Plus, I realized that my MOVE members are not only used to seeing my kids, they actually like seeing them with me. So I apologized for being a jerk and invited her to move with me. 2 of those videos are now in my MOVE archives -- a balancing/core focused 8-minute flow and a side body/standing pose 10 minute focused flow. But the 3rd was a little different. I decided to do a quick workout with her and film it. This leads me to my movement snack for the week. We actually built this one together. I'd throw out ideas for exercises to do and ask if she liked them or if she thought they were fun. She wrote down the ones she liked and made our class plan. It was truly collaborative and I had a blast. I should have invited her in from the beginning. Lesson learned. You don't actually need to be a mom or have small children to enjoy this 5 minute workout. You also don't need any special workout equipment. You can do this one anytime, any place. Try it here: Doing this practice with my kiddo reminded me that while exercising isn't always fun, that doesn't mean it never is. And silly, playful movement is a fantastic way to remind your body and your brain that the best workouts aren't always the ones that are challenging and serious, but the ones you actually enjoy and fit more easily into your life. Happy moving! I'm always looking for suggestions for what to feature in this newsletter or on my YouTube channel. My intention is to make movement more accessible and as someone who moves her body enthusiastically every day, I'm not always connected to what will best support those who struggle with making movement more of a priority. You can respond to this email with your questions or requests. You can also add your voice to the request I made over on my YouTube channel here. Thanks for being a part of my community this year. I am so grateful for you. Warmly, Naomi P.S. I had plans to write about Stacey Sims and misinformation when it comes to how women in perimenopause should be exercising, but I am tabling that until next week. You can get a little preview of that here and I promise next week I'll talk more about that! Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways: Follow me on Instagram, where I share movement inspiration 3x a week as acts of resistance, connection, and strength. Follow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, motherhood, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substacks. There are many ways to support my writing on substack, which focuses on women's health and motherhood during perimenopause through an anti-diet and pro-science lens: 😍 Become a free subscriber |