Moves with Abbie PT – Female Personal Trainer Gloucestershire

Listening to our bodies is one of the most powerful things you can do.

When life can hit us from all angles, we can often try our bests to power through, to continue going at 100 mph. But what happens when we eventually hit a wall and potentially crash? Energy levels are down and it can feel like a real struggle just to complete the usual everyday tasks.

At this point, we may be advised to stop, rest, and chill. But actually gentle movement can be more beneficial than not moving at all.

Exercise doesn’t always have to be high intensity, sweating, hitting PB’s. Gentle, mindful movement can actually be very nourishing to both our body and to our mind; allowing our bodies to gently increase energy levels without exhausting them further.

Below are two terms I love to use, which help to make situations feel less daunting, and more achievable:

Mindful exercise:

Focusing on and matching your breath to each movement pattern. I.e. inhale as you lower into a squat and exhale as you stand up. Pilates and yoga are excellent examples, allowing you to learn how to focus on your breath to stay present and prevent you from being distracted from daily stresses.

Nourishing movement:

Replenishes your energy rather than depleting it. E.g. gentle stretches like knees to-chest and reclined butterfly pose, slow and deepens the breath, creating relaxation and calmness. When you’re tired, or feeling achy, nourishing movement can boost endorphins and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Other examples of mindful exercise & nourishing movement:

• Going out for a short walk to get some fresh air, allowing yourself to be mindful and completely present in that moment by paying attention to the movement of each step, the sensation of the feet touching the ground, and the breath. It creates an awareness of the environment, sounds, and bodily sensations.
• Going swimming is a great mindful exercise as it encourages you to pay close attention to body movements, water resistance, and breathing patterns. It also draws your focus on the sensations of the water, the rhythm of their strokes, and the synchronisation of breath with movement.
• Rolling out your mat, and doing some gentle stretching. But instead of rushing through stretches, your attention is on the sensations in muscles and joints, the breath, and any tension in the body, promoting relaxation and body awareness.
• Attending a Pilates class that focuses on mindful movement by pairing the movement to your breath
• Attending Yin Yoga which is a more restorative yoga class, encouraging you to hold gentle stretches for a period of time
• Breathwork is specific breathing exercises. It is hugely important, involving a practice of controlling breath patterns to improve overall mental and physical health. Focus is placed on the inhalation and exhalation process, allowing you to observe how breath affects the body and mind. It can also support reducing levels of stress and enhance mental clarity

Any of the above can help to relieve stress, give you a boost in endorphins, but most importantly, gives you that time away from life to just focus on YOU!

Never look at this as a set back. By learning to tune into what your body needs, what your mind needs and listening to it when it feels it needs to be nourished, not further exhausted – that is a real strength.

By doing this, you will learn when you can continue a normal exercise regime, or actually when you need to slow things down, or in fact take a compete rest.

In a world that is already so fast paced, tuning into your body and mind, and taking it that little bit slower, and more mindfully, is sometimes just what we need.