Movement: From Punishment to Empowerment

Rewriting My Story with Movement

I used to think exercise was something I had to do. It wasn’t about joy, energy, or self-care—it was about control. In high school and into college, I saw my body as something that needed fixing. I worked out every morning and evening, chasing an impossible standard, convinced that if I just exercised more, I’d finally feel good enough.

Then, I walked into a yoga class by accident.

I remember feeling so irritated when the instructor told me to "just notice" what was happening in my body. I had spent years pushing my body, controlling it, ignoring its signals. But in that quiet moment, I realized just how much anxiety I had been carrying. Yoga, mindfulness, and meditation helped me unwind years of tension—both physically and emotionally.

That class was the start of something new. I began to move, not to punish myself, but to feel better. I studied to become a personal trainer and learned about the power of resistance training—not just for aesthetics, but for strength, capability, and longevity. I started to see movement as something that added to my life, rather than something I had to do to make up for something else.

Now, I move because I love my body, not because I want to change it. I move to feel strong, to be capable, to have more energy, to play with my daughter, and to support my future self.

And that’s exactly what I want for you.

A New Approach to Exercise: Smarter, Not Harder

For years, the fitness industry has told us to go harder, push through, and do more. But the truth is, working out doesn’t have to suck! 

The key to lifelong fitness? Working smarter, not harder. Here’s how:

One way that I have fun while getting exercise is partner/acro yoga

1. Train for Real Life (aka Mom-Life Training)

Not all workouts are created equal. Functional fitness—exercises that mimic real-life movements—helps us stay capable, prevent injuries, and build strength that actually translates to our daily lives.

Let’s break it down:

✔ Strength: The ability to exert force—whether that’s carrying groceries, lifting a squirmy toddler, or holding a car seat in one arm while unlocking the door with the other.

✔ Coordination: How well your muscles and brain work together—like catching a sippy cup mid-air before it crashes onto the floor or wrangling a flailing toddler into a diaper.

✔ Mobility: Your ability to move freely through a full range of motion—bending, twisting, or reaching for that last toy way under the couch.

✔ Balance: Staying stable and in control—because someone is always hanging onto your leg while you’re trying to do literally anything.

✔ Endurance: The ability to sustain repeated movements—hello, the million squats a day picking up toys, snacks, kids, or all of the above.

✔ Agility: Moving quickly and changing direction—like dodging a flying wooden block thrown from across the room.

✔ Power: The combination of strength and speed—whether it’s sprinting to grab your toddler before they bolt into the street or hoisting them up onto your hip in one seamless motion.

💡 Motherhood is functional fitness. But when we train for these movements—when we get stronger, more mobile, and more stable—we make our daily tasks easier and prevent injury in the process.

2. Strength Training is Essential (And Here’s Why It’s Non-Negotiable)

If I could recommend just one type of exercise for women, it would be resistance training. Not because it changes how you look—but because it changes how you feel and how you live.

Here’s why strength training is an absolute game-changer for moms:

✔ More Strength, Less Struggle: Lifting kids, carrying groceries, and pushing strollers becomes effortless, not exhausting.

✔ Injury Prevention: A strong body is a resilient body. Strength training reduces the risk of injuries, protects joints and the spine, and helps you bounce back faster from stress, illness, and setbacks.

✔ Strong Bones for Life: Helps prevent osteoporosis and keeps you mobile well into old age—so you can stay active with your kids (and grandkids!).

✔ Faster Metabolism (Even at Rest!): Muscle is your body’s best fat-burning tool—more muscle = more energy burned all day long.

✔ Hormonal & Blood Sugar Balance: Helps reduce sugar cravings, regulate stress hormones, and stabilize energy levels.

✔ Mental & Emotional Balance: Strength training lowers stress hormones, boosts mood, and enhances mental toughness—which means you’ll be more patient, clear-headed, and emotionally steady in the chaos of mom life.

✔ Brain Function & Longevity: Research shows that muscle mass is directly linked to lifespan and protects against cognitive decline, memory loss, and neurodegenerative diseases.

✔ Epigenetics & Disease Prevention: Strength training "turns on" beneficial genes and "turns off" harmful ones, improving metabolism, immune function, and overall resilience at a cellular level.

✔ Stronger for Future Generations: If you’re a mother (or plan to be), your movement habits impact your children—even before birth (even before conception! 🤯) Studies show that exercise during pregnancy enhances the metabolic health of the baby, setting them up for a healthier life.

Must I go on?! I definitely could, but I won’t! 

Hopefully you agree that lifting weights isn’t about looking a certain way. It’s about staying capable, strong, and resilient—for yourself and your family.

If you want to future-proof your body, build strength now.

3. Flow with Your Cycle

Women are not small men. Yet, for years, fitness advice has been based on male physiology—designed for those who operate on a 24-hour hormonal cycle. But we are women, and whether you currently bleed every month or not, your body is deeply cyclical by nature.

One of the most powerful life hacks is learning to sync with your flow rather than fight against it. When you align your workouts with your hormonal shifts, you maximize results, prevent burnout, and feel more in tune with your body.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the four phases in a 28-dayish cycle and how you can optimize movement at each stage:

🩸 Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5): Your hormones are at their lowest. This is a time for deep recovery—gentle movement like yoga, walking, or stretching is best.

🌱 Follicular Phase (Days 6-13): Energy is rising! Your body is primed for muscle-building, so it’s a great time for strength training and trying new workouts.

☀️ Ovulatory Phase (Days 14-17): Peak energy! Testosterone gives you a boost—this is the time to push your limits with heavier lifts, HIIT workouts, or power-based training.

🍂 Luteal Phase (Days 18-28): Energy starts to dip as progesterone rises. Shift to moderate workouts like steady-state cardio, Pilates, or functional fitness.

💡 Even if you don’t have a regular cycle, you can follow the lunar cycle as a guide:

🌑 New Moon = Menstrual Phase (Rest & Reset)🌒 Waxing Moon = Follicular Phase (Build & Grow)

🌕 Full Moon = Ovulatory Phase (Peak Energy & Strength)🌖 Waning Moon = Luteal Phase (Slow Down & Reflect)

4. Find the Joy of Movement (And Rewire Your Brain in the Process)

Another fun way that I like to exercise is to train for, look forward to, and do fun obstacle course races!

If you want fitness to be something you actually stick with, you have to find the joy in it. The science backs this up—joyful movement doesn’t just feel good in the moment, it literally changes your brain.

Movement sparks neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to grow, rewire, and adapt. But here’s where it gets really powerful: when you engage in movement that brings you joy, your brain becomes even more primed for learning, resilience, and emotional regulation. Joyful movement increases the neuroplasticity state, decreases depression, enhances focus, and even helps you learn new skills more efficiently. It’s not just about exercise—it’s about creating a brain that’s more adaptable, capable, and happy.

That’s why movement should fit into your life, not the other way around. Here’s how to make it feel effortless:

✔ Find movement you love. Hate running? Don’t run. Love dancing? Do that instead.✔ Take it outside. Movement in nature amplifies stress relief and mental clarity.✔ Make it social. Workout with a friend, take a class, or go for a walk with your kids.✔ Listen to your body. Some days you’ll be ready to push hard; some days you’ll need to go easy. Both are okay.

💡 Want to take this even further?Fitness isn’t just about lifting weights and checking off workouts. It’s about being strong for life—so go out and use that strength!

• Run around the playground with your kids.

• Play tag.

• Climb a tree.

• Throw a football around.

• Dance in the kitchen.

• Jump on a trampoline.

• Try acro yoga.

• Roll down a hill like you did when you were a kid.

✔ The more you move in ways that bring you joy, the more sustainable and life-enhancing fitness becomes, and isn’t that the point?! Your brain gets rewired for movement and happiness—meaning the more you do it, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes over time. So, let’s stop seeing movement as a chore, and start seeing it as the gift that it really is. 

5. Rest & Recovery: The Missing Piece of Fitness

We have got to stop saying no pain, no gain. It’s simply not true. Muscles don’t grow during workouts—they grow during recovery. If you’re always exhausted, constantly sore, or pushing through pain, it’s a sign your body needs more rest, not more punishment.

Prioritize recovery with:💤 Sleep – This is where real muscle repair and hormone balance happen. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep whenever possible.🍲 Proper nutrition – Fuel your body with protein, healthy fats, and whole foods that support muscle repair and hormone health.🧘‍♀️ Active recovery – Walking, stretching, foam rolling, and mobility work help circulation and reduce soreness.🛀 Listening to your body – Pain is not the price of progress. It’s your body’s way of saying something needs attention.

💡 Think of recovery as an investment. The better you rest, the stronger you get.

Final Thoughts: Move Because You Get To, Not Because You Have To

Exercise is not a punishment. It’s a privilege. When we shift our mindset from I have to work out to I get to move, everything changes.

Movement is about feeling good, getting stronger, and living more fully—not about shrinking yourself or chasing whatever the heck the media labels as “perfection”.

✨ Start small. Be kind to your body. And most importantly, find joy in movement.

Let’s keep this conversation going inside the Wildly Well Mamas FB community! I’d love to hear—what’s your favorite way to move? 💛