An Ode to Movement
4 years ago by
I never really appreciated exercise. Although I’ve exercised my whole life, it was always begrudgingly. It’s not something I’m proud of but, for me, exercise has always been tied to losing or maintaining my weight. Workouts, rather than being an inherent part of my life, have typically been a counterbalance to an overindulgent meal.
One of the silver linings of being in quarantine is that it’s changed that relationship for me. You know how we always want something after it’s gone? In mid-March, all of a sudden, I was sorely missing my gym, the public pool where I swim, even my walk to the subway. My still body was craving movement. I realized I’d been taking exercise for granted.
So I found new ways to move, as so many of us have. I took up running and a variety of workouts at home. It took being cooped up in the house all day for me to realize that exercise isn’t a punishment, it’s an escape, an hour of freedom when the world is locked down. Especially now, the gratitude that I have for a healthy, moving, body is immense.
And when the world gets back to commuting and deadlines and hustle and bustle, I promise to remember that.
