If you grew up playing sports, you probably learned this lesson without even realizing it: exercise equals punishment. You got in trouble at practice? Run a lap. Talked back to the coach? Hit the baseline and back. Conditioning sessions weren't about getting stronger, they were about breaking you down. And now, years later, you're wondering why working out feels like such a drag. In this episode (part of my "Don't Wait 'Til January" series), I'm unpacking that old story and giving you a new one.
Movement in the grand scheme of things was never meant to be punishment. It's not something you do because you were "bad" or because you ate a cookie. It's how you care for your body. You were made to move. You were built for it. And once you start treating exercise like a gift instead of penance, everything changes. You move because you love yourself, not because you're mad at yourself. If you're still carrying around that old belief that exercise is supposed to hurt or suck, this episode will help you let it go. It's time to build a relationship with movement that feels like celebration, not punishment.
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