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Hey Reader,

A few months ago, I did something silly and got injured in the process. I was playing kickball at a costume party. I was wearing cowboy boots and a sparkly mini-dress — not typical kickball attire. On my first time at the plate, everything was fine. I kicked the ball and it went far, so I didn’t have to run hard. But the second time at the plate, I had to sprint to make it safely to first base. As it turns out, cowboy boots are terrible for sprinting.

My left hamstring muscles, which are already a little more inclined to injury, complained loudly. I made it through the rest of the game, but was limping by the time we left to go home.

I was in serious pain.

My husband and I had a date night scheduled that evening, so despite my injury, we went out to dinner. Because parking downtown is impossible on Saturdays, we parked far away from the restaurant and strolled along the main drag downtown. My hamstrings talked to me loudly the entire time, so I walked slowly and gingerly.

The next morning, my hamstrings still hurt. Not quite as acutely but I could still feel pain just walking around.

So I did some deadlifts.

This might seem like an odd choice? Shouldn’t I be resting if my hamstrings are injured?

Well, that depends. In this case, no. Deadlifts would work to strengthen my hamstrings where they needed some attention and repair.

I did 3 sets of deadlifts. Very slowly and not with the set of weights I usually deadlift with, but slightly lighter weights. It was hard, but I felt relief almost immediately. My hamstrings still felt sensitive and I opted not to do any other movement, but the following day, I did 3 sets of deadlifts again, with slightly heavier weights.

Again, I felt relief and less sensitivity than I had before. So I did deadlifts again the following day. And within 3 days, my hamstrings were almost completely back to normal.

This leads me to my Movement Snack this week.

Movement Snack this week:

We’re often told to rest when you’re in pain, but what if rest isn’t the only answer?

In fact, movement can be enormously helpful when it comes to pain management, as well as pain prevention.

Are there certain circumstances in which this is not the case? Absolutely.

Movement is not the answer everytime.

But regular movement is an incredible tool in your overall health toolbox.

And while I am a big advocate for strength training, it doesn’t necessarily have to be deadlifts. Sometimes just doing a little bit of yoga everyday can make a huge difference.

I wrote about this recently on my substack and if this is a topic you’re curious about, I highly encourage you to read it.

Here’s a quick practice you can do to get moving — a No Hands, Full Body Flow (just 12 minutes long and you won’t put any weight on your hands)

If you’re looking to get moving more and want some community connection, as well as accountability, you can join my online studio MOVE with Naomi. I teach live classes Monday through Friday, plus an online archive with over 800 classes!

If you’re on the fence about joining, but love the idea of trying it out, join me weekly for a drop-in class on Wednesdays. Sign up here to get on that list.

Question of the week:

Another random and silly one, compliments of one of my dance teachers. If you were a drink, what kind of drink would you be?

P.S. If you answer, I’ll share mine with you!

I look forward to hearing about what kind of drink you are and hopefully seeing you on the mat soon, too!

Warmly,

Naomi

Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways:

​Follow me on Bluesky, where I share daily movement practices 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 monthly column “What Moved Me” in which I share the books, movies, and music I enjoyed this month. My latest was just published yesterday and I’m doing a puzzle giveaway, so if you like puzzles, make sure to read and enter!