Why Movement Matters for Caregivers
- Take Care Academy
- Jan 27, 2024
- 2 min read
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Caretakers, I often hear people discuss moving their bodies, and I think exercise can be a really touchy topic in the world, but especially for caregivers. In general, diet culture is incredibly shaming, and social media often perpetuates this "get fit or else" mentality. That's why, in any of my conversations here, I specifically use the phrase "move your body."
I don't think that many of us, as caregivers, have time to head to the gym. And perhaps that's not even safe at this point for your patient—you know, to leave your patient so that you can go to the gym. Sometimes the reality of the situation is you may not even have the time to walk around the block.
And honestly, let's just be realistic. Sometimes we're just too exhausted to think about exercise in this very American, very traditional form. But I really still want us to consider ways that we can move our bodies. I want you to get the benefits—the mental and physical benefits of endorphins, those feel-good chemicals.
I want you to get the benefit in the practice of honoring your own just legitimate physical needs. We've said in other places that we need to protect the instrument, right? I say that a lot. We have to protect the instrument, and the instrument is you. That instrument needs stretching, needs movement, needs some physical activity to be at its best.
So when we talk about moving your body, it's not about weight loss. Moving your body is not about even muscle building, you know, unless you want it to be. But moving your body is about activating feel-good chemicals, releasing toxins from stress in our bodies.
It's about having an outlet to regulate emotions, and it's about mentally demonstrating to yourself that you matter enough to take care of your physical self. So, we're going to be talking about ways to move your body in whatever form really tickles your fancy. I am personally a really big fan of a dance party in my bedroom. No one is watching, and George Michael is blasting.
Moving your body can be a full-body stretch, a walk around the block, swimming, maybe in a local pool. It could be 10 jumping jacks in your kitchen. Really don't care, right? What it is, and I want to help you start to consider these non-traditional forms of movement.
Throw out the idea that you need a 30-minute exercise routine or a gym or any equipment, really. I'm a fangjrl of the original couch-to-5K program: the Canadian Royal Air Force 5BX. Old-school calisthenics that start slow and increase in duration and intensity on your own timeline. The thought of moving our bodies can feel daunting. Give yourself permission to play, explore and choose what feels right for you.
In the pages below, we're going to brainstorm some incremental ways that you can move your body pretty much every single day—ideally with joy, with fun, and with an intention to honor yourself from head to toe.
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