Just Listen to Your Body

Ever been told to "just listen to your body?”

Sounds simple enough, but what does that actually mean? What are you supposed to be listening for?

Just like with nutrition, years of diet marketing teaching us to NOT tune in and listen to our bodies leads to us actually having difficulty with this. 

We're told repeatedly in fitness classes, on social media accounts, and commercials for fitness programs:

"No pain, gain!" 

"Never miss a Monday!" 

"No excuses!"

We're scolded by coaches for not being "compliant," for not being "ALL in," without discussion or examination of how being ALL in could actually be impacting out bodies and minds or may not actually be in alignment with our goals, our lives and signals our body is shouting to us. 

Consistency is not an all or nothing. Movement and fitness and how it aligns with our lives is nuanced and not as simple as "just do it." And this is where having a coach (or coaches!) who will get curious with you and work with you for solutions to how to make training sessions work for during a very busy week or month. Will offer alternate movements when energy is low or if you're in a chronic pain flare up. Will work with you to create a plan that leads to consistency and success by finding the right blend of doable-ness and challenge. 

So, how can you start to tune in?

Start by taking a body and mind scan. Ask yourself some check in questions as you scan from head to toe. Examples of helpful questions include but are not limited to:

-What is your hunger level?

-What is your energy level?

-What is your stress level?

-How was your nutrition today and yesterday?

-How did you sleep?

-If you menstruate, where are you in your cycle?

-Experiencing peri-menopause or in menopause, how is this impacting you today?

-Are you having a chronic pain flare or new ache cropping up?

-Are you sniffly or have a tummy ache? Fever?

-Are you nervous or scared of trying a new skill or possibly failing at a new skill or reaching a PR that has you “holding back?”

Often times, listening to your body isn’t even about doing it or not doing it. Things are most often not so all or nothing, Black or white…. But actually somewhere in the middle. 

Maybe a shortened training session is what is called for today. Or perhaps, a yoga or mobility session instead of the strength session for a new deadlift PR. Maybe the same workout that was program and on deck but with some exercise variations or lighter weight or less rounds is what is needed. 

Or maybe, once you warm up and get moving, you find that you have the strongest session ever!

Often times, starting a training session with the warm up and redoing the body/mind scan helps us discover new information about how we are feeling in that moment to better understand our next steps for that session.

For example, before my session I was feeling extremely lethargic from a busy day at school. I start my warm up and work from the floor up. I put some fun songs on. I start with slow and steady movements such as bridges, and dead bugs and open book and work my way to standing. I am starting to feel warm and connected to my body. I am starting to feel more energetic from the playlist.

I decide to move into the first super set of the session. and continuously check in.

Am I grinding out my overhead presses that usually feel doable?

Does adjusting the weight make these feel more of an appropriate challenge point for the day?

or, maybe the presses feel incredible and it's time to experiment with a heavier weight!

And so on. Mini check-ins, neutral, as objective possible can really make a difference throughout all your training sessions and the more you practice these, the less "clunky" and more natural they will feel.

Didn’t find the one right answer or solution for how to "listen to your body" here?

That’s because there is not an absolute - your body, is unique and always changing. By getting curious and exploring your relationship to movement you are going to find yourself becoming more in tune with the signals your body is sending you. And usually, it’s not an all or nothing solution!

Which of these questions to check in with yourself speaks to you today? Which will try before your next training session? Comment below!