Movement Snacks: The stages of building a movement practice
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Hey Reader, Yesterday I noticed a really smart instagram post by my coach, Alison Heilig, and I want to share it with you. In the post she describes different levels of engaging with movement. The entry level is simply moving your body. At the next level of engagement, you're moving your body more consistently. At the next level of engagement, you might be a bit more specific with how you move, aiming to integrate strength training or cardio or both, while maintaining consistency. Leveling up requires deliberately increasing the challenge or intensity of your workouts. And the final level she shares is when you are working toward a specific goal, so your workouts are geared toward achieving those goals. (You can watch the whole video here, if you're curious) Part of the reason I really love what Alison shares in this post is that it is nearly identical to my own philosophy around movement -- she just articulated it in a very clear, helpful way. The other reason is that it's similar to something Christina Sell, a yoga teacher I've always respected, says about teaching yoga poses. She says that when it comes to yoga poses, everyone has their own bus stop. Take triangle pose. Some people can bring their hand all the way to the floor, but other folks might use a block or put their hand on their shin. Others might even take their hand behind their leg, instead of in front. None of these ways of doing triangle pose are "wrong" or "better"; they're just different bus stops. It's important that we each take the right bus for our needs and get off at the right stop, depending on where we are with movement. That leads me to my movement snack... I strongly believe there isn't a "right way" to move your body. What matters most, particularly in terms of longterm health, is making movement -- any kind of movement -- a consistent, longterm practice. Ideally you're moving your body a little bit, every day. If you want to do more, cool! Adjust your approach or change your bus stop. But you're probably not jumping from moving a little bit every day to training for the CrossFit games. The point is mostly to say, giving yourself clear steps along the way -- similar to the levels Alison laid out -- can be a really useful map to follow. I try to create this type of map in the offerings I share. I have a free YouTube channel with a variety of movement styles. You can try out different practices and see what you like (as well as what you don't). It's very low hanging fruit and choose your own adventure. Level 1, entry point. Power of One is a great starting point for Level 2 and building consistency -- it's a monthlong challenge in which you are given a pose, exercise, or action to do every day. The current group cohort started September 1st, but you can actually jump in any time! If you want to try it out, click here and you'll start today! I have a few Level 3 options, but the best one right now is my app, Strength in Midlife: A Daily App for Aging Well. This is great for those who want to start integrating strength training into your movement practice but aren't quite sure where to start. The idea of this app is to make strength training more accessible by starting small (shorter workouts with a progression built in), while maintaining consistency through additional movement practices on non-strength days (yoga, mobility, core work). ***If you are curious about my app, now is a great time to try it out because it's 20% off through September 13th. That means you can get an annual subscription for $199 or a quarterly subscription for $79. And the first week is a trial period, so you can receive a full refund if it's not for you. As for Level 4, that's what my online studio MOVE is for -- higher level of challenge and depending on which tier you choose, more connection and support directly from me. Level 5 is where individual coaching is beneficial. It's why I work with Alison and I highly recommend her. My physical practice has radically changed, thanks to her guidance. I am significantly stronger and more confident as a result. Or, you can work with me one-on-one. I can build a program for you in support of your goals and work with you to achieve them. If you're interested in that, reach out and let's chat! No matter where you are on the bus route, I hope you can see there is a stop for you where you can get exactly the support you need! 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 YouTube. I share strength and movement practices twice monthly and shorter educational/inspirational videos 3 times a week, plus (almost) daily posts. 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