If I asked what you’re doing to nourish your body, you’d probably start telling me about your diet. We’ve been programmed to think of nutrition in that way.
That concept needs to be expanded into the realm of movement and exercise. I’ve been pushing hard the concept of “movement nutrition”—thinking about movement as nutrition the same as you do with food.
Without movement, it’s nearly imposible to have good health. For example, without movement your lymphatic system can’t flush toxins and waste from the body very well.
Another reason why this comparison is helpful is because, like food, movement can be nutritious or destructive.
I’ve worked with thousands of men and women around the world and have come to realize that the vast majority of them believe that destructive exercise is good for them.
It’s not their fault, of course. The mainstream health and fitness industry promotes destructive exercise and movement as necessary and beneficial.
I was talking to a guy the other day who wants to buckle down and get serious about restoring his health and dropping some body fat, immediately told me that his goal is to run a marathon with his daughter.
I stopped him right there. I told him that I loved the fact that he was getting serious about his health, but cautioned him that running a marathon was highly counterproductive.
This is where the power of the “movement nutrition” concept comes in. It gives you a tangible question you can ask yourself about the type of movement and exercise you’re engaging in.
Let’s say you ran a marathon and talked with me about it at the finish line. What would your response be if I asked, “Do you feel like that was nutritious for your body?”
I’ve seen people at the finish line of marathons before. They look like death. They often say they feel like death. They’re body is totally broken down. Many don’t even make it.
By all standards, this is not nutritious movement or exercise. It’s a highly destructive environment for the body to be exposed to. But for some reason, it’s heralded—along with its little brother the half-marathon—as the epitome of health and fitness.
So my challenge to you is this: Start thinking about exercise and movement as nutrition. Assess your movement and exercise plans (both during and after) with the question, “does this feel nutritious?”
Oh, and disregard the messaging you’re getting from the “no pain no gain” health and fitness industry. They’ve been working to keep you stuck and dependent in a myriad of ways for decades now. You don’t need them…
