3 Phrases That Will Transform the Way You Look at Movement

Goodbye, exercise regimen — hello, self-care routine.

The way we talk to ourselves about exercising — both out loud and in our heads — has a tangible effect on our behavior and whether or not we keep up our movement routines in the long run.

That’s why it’s so important to examine and reframe some of our unhelpful thoughts about working out. Reframing, a psychological intervention used to change negative thought patterns, is typically used in cognitive behavioral therapy — but researchers have found it has a powerful impact on our “biased thoughts” about movement, too, like assuming we are too busy, catastrophizing, or having an all-or-nothing mentality. Reframing our thoughts around exercise, the study shows, can reduce negative feelings, boost our intentions to get moving, and actually push us to be more active in our daily lives. 

If you’re struggling to look at physical activity in a positive light, these simple reframes might help you put a new, more enthusiastic spin on it.

Replace “exercise” with “movement”

Is the term “exercise” keeping you from reaching your full potential? When you think of the word, perhaps you immediately associate it with an hour-long workout class or a five-mile run. When we gently shift to a movement mentality, it may become a bit easier to recognize that every bit counts. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking somewhere instead of driving, or simply getting up from your desk and taking a moment to stretch are all meaningful ways to move. And those short bursts of movement add up to something great — no lengthy sweat-sesh necessary.

Think of your workout routine as a “self-care routine”

Because that’s exactly what it is! Making time to move our bodies is one of the best ways we can show up for ourselves and prioritize our well-being. And considering the link between our mental health and physical health, when we take time to move, we’re also reaping the benefits for our minds. Shifting to a “self-care routine” will remind you of the benefits of movement and that by taking the time to get up and go, you’re putting yourself first. 

Remember: You don’t have to — but you can

This simple word switch can make all the difference. Instead of waking up and thinking, “I have to go for that walk,” or, “I need to get my steps in today,” hone in on the opportunity of the moment. Phrases like, “I can go for a run today if I want to,” or “I have a body that can support me through this workout” will enable you to see the positive and remind you that you’re in control. 

Worldwide, we are taking fewer steps as a result of COVID-19.

As quarantine restrictions and work-from-home mandates continue on, step counts are projected to stay low. But the weight gain the world has seen may not be inevitable. You have a whole lot more control than you might think. The key is to reengineer your environment and use the power of perception to your advantage. Here are three tactics for keeping the scale from ticking up.

Become your own accountant

Rather than relying on memory of what you eat and how much you move, track it. A study conducted by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research followed nearly 1,700 dieters. All maintained a healthy diet and exercised at least 30-minutes a day. Everybody lost weight — an average of 13 pounds. But those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. The visual summary of eating habits, calorie intake, and nutritional successes and missteps reduced mindless eating.

Really schedule your day

People prioritize the things they see on their calendar over what they try keep in mind. Scheduling appointments with ourselves to exercise can increase physical activity by helping us better schedule our time. Duke University professor and author of Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely, reported that people spend time in the wrong ways, especially when they do not use their calendar for all things they want to get done in the day. He said in a Reddit thread, “One of the saddest mistakes in time management is the propensity of people to spend the two most productive hours of their day on things that don’t require high cognitive capacity (like social media).” Ariely notes that for the vast majority of people, the most productive hours are those when we first wake up at the beginning of the day, and the true night owl is actually a rarity.

But we aren’t good at using those best hours well. We allocate our time poorly, in ways that don’t take advantage of the times when our energy and ability to focus is high. If at the end of the work-at-home day we have not yet done it, for most people they will not have the energy left for exercise. Put a workout on the calendar for those times your body is best able to take on the physical challenge, rather than waiting to fit it in when there is free time.  

Scheduling our exercise and meals can increase the odds of meeting our health goals.

Stock the kitchen for success

Visual environments — what appears inside the field of view — has direct effects on what we do, including what we eat. Take care to arrange your refrigerator and pantry in a way that encourages healthy choices. In a 2012 publication, Anne Thorndike and her colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital labeled food and beverages in the cafeteria according to their nutritional value. Green tags meant the most healthy, red for least. They also placed healthy options on shelves at eye level. Overall green-tag purchases increased and red tagged ones decreased. Specifically, looking at 1 million purchases before the visual changes, water constituted only 14% of beverage sales. But after water as green, its sales increased by over 25%; red-tagged sugary beverages decreased by 11%. Take a cue from this simple change and nudge healthier choices by curating the visual environments of your fridge and pantry shelves.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to place restrictions on everyday activities, suppressing the number of steps people get in during the day. But rather than accepting the impacts on health as inevitable, this may be an opportunity for innovation within our personal lives. During a health crisis that has added uncertainty to many aspects of our lives, it is still possible to take back control of what we eat and how much we move to improve our health.