Obstacles to Physical Activity and How to Overcome Them
It’s so patronizing to assume that people aren’t living up to physical activity recommendations simply because they are too stupid to know what’s good for them. Unfortunately, I don’t think the health and wellness world is going to drop that tone any time soon, so the materials we read and the messaging that makes it to the news is going to continue to be, “Hey, guess what?! Physical activity is beneficial for your health! Aren’t you glad we told you?!” Then, it’s the job of curious and self-reflective movement educators like myself who, once knowing better, can do better.
I think there’s a lot of things that get in the way of regular physical activity for most people, but here’s the three I think matter most.
Movement is What You Were Meant For
I love “You’re Meant to Move” for the same reasons I initially resisted it: its meaning can be interpreted differently depending on the person and their perspective. To be “meant” for something means you are perfectly suited to it, maybe even destined. But when your mother says, “you’re meant to close the lid when you’re done with the toilet,” that’s a bit more of a directive statement as in “you’re supposed to” do something. If I say that we are meant for each other it means that I believe we are soulmates. I think all of these meanings and more are relevant for the many messages in this book.