👀 Ever heard a friend or yourself say: “I’ve had such a hard week. I gotta sweat it out!”
While #science says that’s not how it works technically 🤣 (see citation in IG story), I do not disagree with the sentiment! But let’s look at this from a different lens.
Imagine you’ve been injured or for whatever reason, you physically are unable to exercise. Maybe it’s more physically benign; you got into a fight with your spouse. You lost your job. You received unsettling news. Life feels particularly stressful.
It’s important for us to experience the emotions that arise from life’s challenges. Full stop. Your challenges could include but are not limited to: a fight with your spouse, a toxic workplace, a death of a friend. It could be a physical challenge too (i.e. an injury). Do you have tools that aren’t exercise to cope?
Folks are so quick to proclaim “exercise is my therapy” but I think there’s some confusion here. When we say phrases like “exercise is my therapy,” we teach ourselves and others that the only way to cope with life’s challenges is to run, lift and move. We may even do these activities in excess to avoid whatever is going on.
I think these modalities are more therapeutic in nature and what folks could really benefit from is…
THERAPY.
Leaving you with some definitions…
Therapy (noun): medical treatment of impairment, injury, disease, or disorder
Therapeutic (adj): having a beneficial effect on the body or mind
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Disclaimer: I am not a therapist. I am a fitness professional who is also a human recommending you take care of your whole self 💭
