Reclaiming Exercise without Strings

A few weeks into this daily practice of movement and creativity, I’m surprised at how much I’m discovering. One of the biggest revelations so far is noticing the subtle differences between diet culture’s rules and my body’s actual rhythm.

Diet culture had me tangled up in all kinds of assumptions:

• Exercise was something I “had to” do if I ate too much.

• Movement was about shrinking, fixing, or controlling my body.

• “Healthy” was measured by how thin, toned, or “in shape” I looked to other people.

Even though I thought I’d outgrown those beliefs, I can feel the residue of them. They’re sneaky. They whisper when I put on workout clothes, or when I notice soreness after a workout.

But here’s what I’m beginning to see: my body sometimes craves intensity. It wants sweat, effort, and the kind of push I used to only call exercise. The difference now is that I’m reclaiming that word. Exercise isn’t about punishment, calories, or proving myself. It’s about honoring the times when my body wants to move with power. And just as importantly, honoring when it doesn’t.

I’m learning that movement isn’t automatically tainted by diet culture, rather it’s the intent behind it that changes everything. When the intent comes from shame, fear, or comparison, it drains me. But when the intent comes from curiosity, joy, and listening to what my body is asking for, it feels like freedom.

This untangling process is ongoing. I still catch myself falling into old thought patterns. But each day of practice is teaching me that I get to redefine what movement means. I get to decide the story.

And so the journey continues…