Defining Movement vs. Exercise

• Exercise: structured, goal-oriented physical activity that can unfortunately feel inaccessible or intimidating to some people.
• Movement: any physical activity, even light or unstructured (e.g., stretching, walking, dancing) that is accessible to all people.

Why Movement Can Be More Accessible Than Exercise

There is less pressure to perform or compete at a particular level, and lower expectations of immediate physical changes.

Movement is more sustainable for people with depression, anxiety, or trauma, or who have had negative experiences with exercise due to bullying, feeling like they’re a failure, or who have specific sports trauma around exercise.

The Mental Health Benefits of Both

Movement reduces anxiety, improves focus, supports nervous system regulation, and has the flexibility to be creative and unique, without expectations of a certain goal beyond feeling better.

Exercise can boost mood, support sleep, and improve resilience, BUT so can movement.

How to Know What’s Right for You

If exercise feels overwhelming, start small with movement, and you may find that all your needs are met through movements that feel possible for your own body.

Focus on what feels good, not what burns the most calories. Think longer term about the health benefits of movement and activity, which don’t include a calorie count or competition.

Creating a Routine That Supports Mental Health

Incorporate movement breaks throughout your day, especially if you spend a lot of time seated. Twists, stretches, reaching; all of these help short-term and long-term.

Find joy-based movement instead of punishment-based workouts. Do you like to swim? Dance to your favorite playlist? Walk in nature? Hike with friends?

How Therapy Can Help You Build Healthy Movement Habits

Therapists can help uncover shame, body image issues, or internalized pressure to reach a goal, and help you redefine what outcome you want, such as long-term health, a positive relationship with your body, more flexibility, or movement-related skills to aging well.

Movement can be integrated into therapy as a coping skill, and your therapist can model different techniques or offer Walk and Talk Therapy.

Take a Step Toward a More Balanced Life

Reach out now so that you can explore movement in therapy for mental wellness support.