April 15, 2025

How You Can Find Joy in Movement (Even If You've Never Been Athletic)

Show Notes
Transcript

Learn how to reconnect with the natural pleasure of moving your body without judgment or expectations. Olivia shares approaches to physical activity that focus on enjoyment and awareness rather than performance or appearance.

Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, just click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed! You also get 20+ other shows on the network ad-free!

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:12.880
Ah Caliugashock Media. Hi everyone, I'm Olivia and welcome to

2
00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:16.760
today's five Minutes of Gratitude. I've been thinking about our

3
00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:20.719
relationship with movement and how easily it can become complicated

4
00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:26.160
by expectations, comparisons, and shoulds. Today, I want to explore

5
00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:29.079
how we can reconnect with the simple joy of moving

6
00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:34.640
our bodies, regardless of fitness level, coordination, or athletic background.

7
00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:37.640
Last month, I was walking through the park when I

8
00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:41.719
noticed a group of children playing. They were running, jumping, spinning,

9
00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:46.320
completely absorbed in the pleasure of movement itself. I realized

10
00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:48.880
I couldn't remember the last time I'd moved my body

11
00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:52.679
simply for the joy of it, without thinking about calories, performance,

12
00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:56.159
or how I looked doing it. That observation started me

13
00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:58.759
on a journey to rediscover movement as a source of

14
00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:03.159
pleasure rather than obligation. What would happen, I wondered if

15
00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:07.560
I approached physical activity with curiosity and appreciation instead of

16
00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:12.319
judgment or determination. The shift has been remarkable. I started

17
00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.680
paying attention to which movements naturally feel good in my body,

18
00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:20.000
stretching when I first wake up, swaying to music while cooking, dinner,

19
00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:22.840
taking the long way home just to enjoy the rhythm

20
00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:27.599
of walking. These simple movements done with awareness have brought

21
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.519
me more consistent joy than many of my more structured

22
00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:34.840
exercise attempts. What's been most surprising is how this approach

23
00:01:34.840 --> 00:01:38.599
has changed my energy levels. When movement becomes something I

24
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:41.200
look forward to rather than another item on my to

25
00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:44.519
do list, I find myself naturally wanting to move more

26
00:01:44.599 --> 00:01:48.439
throughout the day. It's like my body recognizes that movement

27
00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:52.200
can be nourishing rather than depleting. I've noticed there's a

28
00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:56.280
big difference between moving on autopilot and moving with awareness.

29
00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:01.599
Even the most ordinary actions climbing stone, reaching for something

30
00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:05.680
on a high shelf, carrying groceries become interesting when I

31
00:02:05.719 --> 00:02:10.199
tune into the sensations, the coordination required, the miracle of

32
00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:14.879
my body figuring out how to accomplish these tasks. My neighbor, Elena,

33
00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:18.599
who's in her seventies, taught me something profound about movement.

34
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:23.039
I don't exercise to stay young, she told me, I

35
00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:26.800
move to fully experience being exactly the age I am.

36
00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:31.159
That perspective shifted something for me, the idea that movement

37
00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:34.879
isn't about fighting against our bodies, but about fully inhabiting

38
00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:39.080
them wherever they are right now. There's also something powerful

39
00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:43.039
about connecting movement to gratitude. Instead of focusing on what

40
00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:46.120
my body can't do or how it's changed over time,

41
00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:50.039
I've been practicing appreciation for what it can do carry

42
00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:54.719
me through my day, experience pleasure, heal from injuries, adapt

43
00:02:54.719 --> 00:03:07.199
to new challenges. This gratitude completely changes how movement feels.

44
00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:12.439
One approach that's helped me reconnect with joyful movement is

45
00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:16.520
paying attention to the movements that naturally energize me. Some

46
00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:21.840
people feel revitalized by strong, vigorous movement, Others find slow,

47
00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:26.319
gentle movements more nourishing. There's no single right way. It's

48
00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:31.159
about discovering what your particular body responds to positively. Whether

49
00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:34.960
and seasons offer natural invitations to different kinds of movement.

50
00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:40.280
Spring's gentle warmth might invite meandering walks or gardening. Summer

51
00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:44.919
heat might make water movement especially appealing. Falls crispness might

52
00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:49.520
inspire more vigorous hiking or biking. Winter's coziness might draw

53
00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:54.080
us to indoor stretching or dancing. Following these natural rhythms

54
00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.840
adds another layer of pleasure to movement. I've found that

55
00:03:57.879 --> 00:04:00.919
moving outdoors connects me to joy in a special way.

56
00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:05.319
There's something about feeling air on my skin, hearing birds,

57
00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:09.639
noticing how light changes through trees that amplifies the pleasure

58
00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.960
of movement. Even a short walk around the block with

59
00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:16.959
full attention to these sensory experiences becomes something to look

60
00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.279
forward to rather than just exercise to check off a list.

61
00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:26.040
Music has been a powerful ally in rediscovering movement joy.

62
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:29.399
Putting on a song I love and letting my body

63
00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:33.120
respond however it wants to, without worrying about looking graceful

64
00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.920
or doing it right reconnects me to the natural pleasure

65
00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:40.040
of movement that I knew as a child. My kitchen

66
00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.720
has become an impromptu dance floor more times than I

67
00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:47.839
can count. Something that surprised me was how social movement

68
00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:52.399
can increase joy. Walking with a friend, joining a gentle

69
00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.560
yoga class, or even just stretching while talking on the

70
00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:58.680
phone brings a different kind of pleasure than moving alone.

71
00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:02.600
There's something about shared movement that connects us to our

72
00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:07.040
communal human experience in a unique way. I've been experimenting

73
00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:11.800
with what my yoga teacher calls micro movements, tiny subtle

74
00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.360
adjustments and movements that most people wouldn't even notice from

75
00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:19.600
the outside. Gently rotating wrists while waiting for coffee to brew,

76
00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:23.399
subtle stretches while sitting at my desk, small movements of

77
00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:27.000
my spine while standing in line. These brief moments of

78
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:30.399
mindful movement throughout the day keep me feeling alive in

79
00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:34.800
my body. One of the most valuable things I've learned

80
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:38.720
is that joyful movement looks different for everyone. What feels

81
00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.000
good in my body might not feel good in yours.

82
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:45.319
What energizes me might deplete you. This isn't a sign

83
00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:49.240
that something's wrong. It's a beautiful reminder of our uniqueness.

84
00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.920
The key is curiosity about your own experience, rather than

85
00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:00.360
following someone else's prescription. Today's affirmation is I move with

86
00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:04.879
awareness and appreciation for my body's wisdom. Take a breath

87
00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:08.800
and feel that truth. Your body carries incredible intelligence about

88
00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.720
what kind of movement it needs and enjoys. When we

89
00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:14.240
listen with kindness, it has so much to tell us.

90
00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:18.759
Thank you for exploring these thoughts on joyful movement with

91
00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:22.279
me today. Until next time, may you discover moments of

92
00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.480
delight in the simple miracle of having a body that moves.

93
00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:30.759
This is Olivia signing off from five Minutes of Gratitude.

How You Can Find Joy in Movement (Even If You've Never Been Athletic)

Listen On

Recent Episodes