Movement Snacks: I did something scary (for me)
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Hey Reader, I am writing to you from the floor of my still dark hotel room. 4 kids and a dog are still sleeping while I try to squeeze out some work before we get back on the road for our summer adventure. The hotel room is tiny. Smaller than the one we were in yesterday. I am going to have to get creative if I want to move my body before driving for 6.5 hours. I happen to have some resistance bands with me and randomly some kettlebells in my car. Maybe I'll do a parking lot work out??? Yesterday, though, I wasn't contemplating doing a quick, public workout on asphalt because the hotel we were staying in had a gym. I hadn't exercised in a gym for around 20 years but I was determined to try because I was happy to have access to weights for a morning on this roadtrip. This leads me to my movement snack for the week. I stopped going to the gym 20 years ago. Part of that was due to shifting my focus entirely to yoga and then opting to workout at home because home workouts don't require childcare. But to be honest, I am intimidated by gyms. I like my solo workout. I don't want to be judged. And I don't like sharing space. Still, I woke up early and put my workout clothes on and went to the hotel gym yesterday. I was the only one there (minor relief) but it was right in front of the elevator (so exposed!). But then I just did what I know how to do -- I did a short, simple workout. It took me less than 15 minutes and I was back upstairs before all of the kids even woke up. Someone recently asked me if exercise should always feel good. My answer was no. I explained that while exercise shouldn't be painful, it should sometimes offer a challenge which is not always comfortable. There's more to it than that and I'll share the article when it comes out, but this is an example of something out of my comfort zone. I did it anyway because I knew that the results -- feeling strong and energized -- were worth it. If you want to take a step in the direction of a supportive challenge, check out my app, Strength in Midlife: A Daily Movement App for Aging Well. My app was built to meet you where you are and give you a place to grow. You always have the option to challenge yourself, but there's never any force. I don't prescribe certain weights to lift. I give you options. You can scale up or down based on your needs. If you want a preview of what this looks like, you can check out my latest video on YouTube, which shares the first video in a series teaching squats and forearm plank. All of the classes on the app are between 5 and 20 minutes long, making it really easy to get moving. And BONUS: Strength in Midlife is currently 20% off. That means you can get one year of access for $199 or 3 months for $79. You can always test it out for 7 days and if it's not for you, you can get a full refund (so long as you cancel your subscription before the end of the week). Get more info about Strength in Midlife here. (and heads up: I'll be sending a few more emails during the next 10 days while this promo is happening. If you know you're not interested, please click here and I'll make sure you don't get any of those extra promotional emails) 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 new request I made on my YouTube channel here. Thanks for being a part of my community this year. I am so grateful for you. Warmly, Naomi 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, perimenopause, 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 |