I Know I Should Exercise, But...
44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them
Break down the common everyday mental blocks to moving your body, and turn your mind from an adversary into an ally in the quest for better health.
“I know I should move my body more, but…
- I’m on my feet all day for work and I’m exhausted!”
- I’m addicted to my phone.”
- I’m great at starting movement programs, just lousy at sticking with them.”
- My body jiggles and embarrasses me in public.”
- Movement is sooooo boring!”
Sound familiar? If not, it probably means you have another perfectly good excuse of your own. We all have our reasons for not getting the physical activity we know is good for us—reasons which stubbornly defy the same old tired prescriptive advice about hours of weekly cardio or numbers of steps. Adding insult to injury, these same excuses contribute to you feeling bad or guilty when you fail to move as much as you know you “should.”
That’s why Diana Hill and Katy Bowman have put together this simple guide to changing the way you think to change how much you move.
Diana is a modern psychologist, expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and host of the Wise Effort podcast. Her mission is to help her clients and readers grow the psychological flexibility needed to get moving in directions that matter to them. Katy is a biomechanist, author, and trailblazing movement teacher who has spent a career helping people integrate more movement into their lives. In I Know I Should Exercise, But…, the two join forces to help you challenge your barriers to movement in a new way. Katy translates her understanding of the obstacles that keep people sedentary—including dozens of real-world examples from readers and clients—into 44 essential impediments to movement. Diana responds to those common barriers, while introducing you to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), behavioral psychology, and self-compassion: evidence-based-approaches for cultivating flexibility and aligning actions with values.
Whether your internal barrier is born of fear, malaise, inertia, embarrassment, or difficulty managing competing priorities, you will learn how to disempower it by applying effective science-based tools for changing the way you think.
You’ll learn to identify your resistance—whether it’s an unhelpful thought, a misplaced motivation, or a contextual barrier—and respond wisely and effectively, using tools and techniques that can be applied to other areas of your life as well, including:
- urge surfing
- motivational interviewing
- behavioral stretching
- strengthening your acceptance muscle
This is a must-have book for anyone struggling with the mental barriers to moving more and an essential resource for personal trainers, fitness instructors, and mental health professionals wanting to better connect with their clients.
Stretch your mind and connect with what is truly important to you, and you just might stop making excuses and start making movement!
Praise
"This is a title you'll want to keep on the shelf for reference. Not only will Katy and Diana give you the nudge you need, they'll get you to rethink your relationship to movement entirely. Their science-based approach and sassy attitude will help you feel better in your body."--Manoush Zomorodi, Host of NPR's TED Radio Hour and Body Electric
"[A] remarkable and timely book that applies the powerful tools of modern psychological science to help readers overcome the mental and emotional barriers to movement, connecting actions to deeply held values rather than temporary motivations or fearful but often incorrect predictions.
What stands out most to me is the book’s innovative choice to highlight and undermine excessive reason-giving. That is a topic I’ve long found fascinating and my own research on ACT and psychological flexibility was originally based on it four decades ago. It’s wonderful to see reason-giving addressed in such a powerful, compassionate, and effective way. I can think of no book ever, in any area, that has explored it so thoroughly and artfully.
Instead of becoming scolds (“You are just using excuses!” or “Stop being so lazy!”) Hill and Bowman kindly invite readers to explore the roots of their struggles and develop the psychological flexibility skills needed to take meaningful, values-based action. The result is an accessible and dare I say moving guide that is enlightening, honest, and engaging.
As you read it you will discover that this book is not really just for those who want to exercise. It’s for anyone seeking a richer, more intentional relationship with their mind, body, and values. Whether you’re a fitness professional, mental health practitioner, or someone who just wants to get unstuck, this book will make a difference.--Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Author of Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life and A Liberated Mind
About the Author
Diana Hill, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and an internationally recognized expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion. As the host of the “Wise Effort” podcast and author of The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, ACT Daily Journal, and the upcoming Wise Effort, Diana helps individuals and organizations cultivate psychological flexibility to lead fulfilling and impactful lives.
With over 20 years of meditation and yoga experience, Diana combines her deep personal practice with with the latest psychological research to make well-being approachable and relevant to everyday life. Her work has been featured by NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day, Real Simple, and other media outlets, and she contributes regularly to Insight Timer, MIndful.org, and Psychology Today.
When not walking and talking with therapy clients, you’ll find Diana digging in her garden, bee-keeping, and taking sunrise ocean swims with her two boys.
Katy Bowman, M.S. is a biomechanist, movement teacher, and bestselling author who has changed the way many move and think about their need for movement. Her 11 books, including the groundbreaking Move Your DNA, have sold more than 300,000 copies in English and been translated into 16 languages worldwide. Named one of Maria Shriver’s “Architects of Change” and an America Walks “Woman of the Walking Movement,” Bowman teaches movement globally and speaks about sedentarism and movement ecology to academic and scientific audiences. Her work is regularly featured by diverse national and international media including The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, CBC Radio, Seattle Times, Good Housekeeping, Outside, The Joe Rogan Experience, and The Today Show. She has also worked with companies like Patagonia, Nike, and Google, as well as a wide range of non-profits and other communities to create greater access to her “movement as nutrition” message.
Founder of the movement education company Nutritious Movement and host of the Move Your DNA podcast, Bowman lives in Washington State, where she spends as much time as she can moving outside with her family.
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