Fuel and movement for my body- tools for leading and living well

Find the audio version of this post here.

We live and lead in these bodies so why aren’t we taking care of them? Our health is a foundation that we take for granted until something goes wrong. We are working hard, pursuing goals and juggling the demands of life without giving our bodies the fuel and tuning they need for energy. Or maybe it’s just me that falls into that habit?

I have been on this journey of making fuel and movement for my body a priority for four years and yet I still need this reminder daily.

Get curious

• Have you noticed the times you reach for that quick sugar hit?

• What pattern of sleep do you see when you review your week?

• Does the resistance to the discomfort of exercise show up in resistance to discomfort in other areas of life?

Getting curious about these questions in my own life helps me to develop an awareness of what is really going on. The food choices I make may have more to do with the emotions I’m trying to numb, the task I’m trying to avoid or taking the path of least resistance. These patterns and defaults show up in other choices in my life. It is seemingly small but those small daily choices add up to a life.

My reluctance to lean into the tough parts of a work out may show up in reluctance to push through a tough work task. Or maybe it reveals an area where I’m trying to imitate someone else instead of leaning into who I am. Am I trying to follow someone else’s exercise routine or am I creating the rhythms that work for me and that I end up enjoying more?

Motivation

I often fall into the trap of thinking that I am too busy to go exercise or to take time to make a healthy food choice. The reality is that the other priorities I have mean I NEED to take that time. I cannot possibly lead to the full when I am dragging myself around from low energy and feeling mildly ill from poor food choices. 

My other motivation? I am a living example to my daughter. She is watching the choices I make each day and that is forming ideas in her mind of what living life can look like. I never want her to feel ashamed of her body or that she needs to ‘punish’ her body for food choices. Neither do I want her to live a life of ill health and low energy. It is a mindset of health, nutrition and a lifestyle over a diet and weight loss. This is what I want her to pick up from me so I need to live it.

This year my manifesto includes moving and fueling my body to help me to live this out day by day. I want to fuel my body with delicious and nutritious foods that give me energy for the tasks ahead, following the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan. Sleep and rest are essential ways to fuel my body too. I want to move my body every day- keeping up my routine of swimming, shoulder rehabilitation exercises and walks. This releases stress, keeps my shoulder pain under control and generates energy. 

How are you fueling and moving your body this year?