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Hey Reader,

This morning, I woke up early to move my body like I always do.

I am a person who has a daily movement practice, which is a little bit abnormal. Apparently only around 20% of women (according to a 2024 study) have an intentional daily movement practice.

I like moving my body. It's also my job to teach people how to do it.

And lots of evidence points to the fact that a regular (if not daily) movement practice, including resistance training and cardio, is important for health, especially as we get older.

So if you're not someone who just feels naturally motivated to move your body every day but wants to be more consistent, how do you do it?

In the past few weeks I've talked a bit about what doesn't work, as well as how important simply BEING CONSISTENT is and that the basics of being consistent are by making it easy to move your body by starting super small (think 1 pose or 1 exercise per day and building from there).

But now I want to share a tip that can help you start to build movement into your daily routine.

(This leads me to my Movement Snack this week)

Movement Snack this week:

One of the things that can help you create a more consistent daily movement practice is to pick a time every day that works for you to move your body.

Some folks love this because it gives them a sense of routine and rhythm, which feels steady and grounding.

Some folks hate it because they hate routines and feel boxed in by them. A few folks will even tell me that because of their job or their lives, their schedule changes constantly, so they can't actually pick a consistent time.

And while I won't argue with what I don't know -- I honestly don't know what every persons' life or daily routine is like -- there are still ways to manage this, even if you're routine averse.

As I said to one of the members of my online studio MOVE this morning, who is doing a daily movement challenge within the studio, the time doesn't have to be exact, it can be general.

For example: I prefer to move my body in the morning, but I can't do it first thing. I have to walk my dog and help my oldest get out the door to school. My goal is to start moving after she leaves. Some days it's immediate -- I'm changed into my workout clothes and in my basement lifting weights before 7. Some days it's later. One of the younger kids might need things before I can go downstairs. Or if it's a running day, I wait until their dad is awake and they're almost out the door because I don't like running in the dark or when it's below freezing.

But no matter what, I'm done before 8:30am. That's a 90 minute window to make my brief (20-30 minute) movement practice happen.

Now within that timeframe, there are various triggers that help me stack my movement in and obstacles that I smooth out to make the movement easier to do, so it's not just about picking a time and sticking with it. But picking the time that makes the most sense for me to move everyday certainly helps.

Let me put it this way: it's a good first step to being more consistent.

With that in mind, I have a question for you:

When is the most likely time that you can move your body every single day?

I'd love to hear from you, so respond to this email with your answer as a way to take a small step toward a more consistent movement practice!

Warmly,

Naomi

SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT:

My annual Winter Retreat is open for registration! This retreat is the only in-person event I currently do and I love gathering at the beginning of the year to move, write, and connect with some amazing humans.

The retreat will be held Friday January 16-18, 2026, just outside of Harper's Ferry, MD. I've taught this retreat for a decade and it's such an incredible gathering.

Here's what one regular participant says about attending year after year:

"What I love most about Naomi’s retreats (I’ve been on 3), is the space she creates and holds for the participants to use as needed. I’ve used these weekends as a way to step peacefully away from my life and reevaluate my priorities. The classes, the meditations, and the journaling all help me sit with myself to consider what’s working and what’s not. I always return to my life with a renewed sense of clarity and purpose. Highly recommend. You won’t regret going."

If you're interested and want more information, click here for details.

If you know you want to attend and are ready to save your spot, click here.

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

Follow me on Bluesky, where I try to 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 most recent substack, a deeply personal piece about my history of eating disorders and something that was once a part of my recovery, that no longer serves me. You can read about it here.

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
🤩 Become a paid subscriber
❤️ Like the post in substack
💬 Leave a comment (if it’s thoughtful and not insulting I’ll respond!)
➡️ Share or restack within the app