Joyful movement is a physical activity that provides a positive and fulfilling experience. With a focus on celebrating the body's capabilities, it enhances both mental and physical well-being. By reading this article you will find out how to embrace this philosophy and make exercise an exciting part of your life.
Joyful exercise refers to engaging in enjoyable and fulfilling physical activity, far from being a form of exercise out of necessity. This concept encourages choosing activities that bring you pleasure, such as dancing, hiking or cycling, and focusing on the intrinsic joy of movement. Doing so, improves both mental and physical well-being, making exercise a sustainable and enjoyable part of your lifestyle.
Discover by reading this article, how to integrate joyful movement into your daily life, as well as the many benefits it offers. The article explores practical tips and pointers to help you adopt a more enjoyable and fulfilling approach to fitness.
Definition
The joyful movement emphasizes finding pleasure in physical activity and prioritizing the enjoyment it brings. This approach encourages individuals to choose activities they genuinely like, making exercise a source of happiness. It encompasses any form of movement that brings joy, making it an inclusive and practical fitness philosophy suitable for all body types.
It involves both physical and mental aspects, influenced by factors such as environment, timing, context, and social or political conditions. The joy derived from movement can manifest as a physical sensation or a meaningful experience, aligning with personal expectations or societal norms. It can stem from various sources, including creativity, wonder, harmony, friendship, fulfilment, challenge, risk, empathy, and competition.1
Influencing factors
The joy of movement is a dynamic force that invigorates, engages, and unites. It brings confidence, courage, and a sense of belonging, yet its intensity can fluctuate depending on the situation, environment, and individual. Joy in movement can emerge, grow, fade, or remain latent over time. Social factors like acceptance, acknowledgement, and togetherness enhance the meaningfulness of movement, while exclusion and rejection can lead to discomfort and withdrawal. Ultimately, the joy of movement intertwines with personal interests and meaningful environments, creating a rich, fluctuating experience.1
For children, the joy of movement is crucial for their well-being, helping them navigate life's challenges, and fostering personal growth and social learning. It emerges in inviting environments where children are engaged with the activity and each other, providing confidence and courage to explore new situations. However, this joy cannot be guaranteed. Activities like dodgeball and capture the flag offer opportunities for joyful movement, but not all children find them enjoyable. Some may find them confusing or struggle to connect with classmates. Physical educators play a vital role in facilitating joy by understanding their students, fostering interactions, and actively engaging with them to create supportive and meaningful movement experiences.1
For older adults, study2 on joyful movement highlighted the benefits of engaging them in enjoyable and beneficial physical activities, particularly within fall prevention programs. Participants showed notable improvements in balance and mobility, especially those who initially had lower levels of function. The MOVE STRONG™ program used in the study significantly increased participants' confidence in avoiding falls, achieving results similar to other interventions designed to reduce the fear of falling. This demonstrates that joyful movement not only improves physical abilities but also enhances the mental well-being of older adults.
Suggestions
Embracing joyful movement involves selecting activities that you find enjoyable or at least don't dread, focusing on health benefits rather than changing your body size. Exercise with friends or loved ones to make it more fun and set realistic, achievable goals based on time or intensity. Incorporate movement into your daily routine through activities like gardening or walking your dog, and seek inspiration from stories of others who have found joy in movement despite challenges. This approach not only improves physical health but also enhances overall well-being by making exercise a positive and integral part of your life.3
Joyful movement redefines fitness by focusing on pleasure rather than obligation. Instead of rigid gym routines, it encourages playful, varied activities like dancing, hiking, or biking that bring genuine joy. By shifting the focus from calorie burning to enjoying movement, and incorporating nature and sustainable habits, it promotes mental and emotional well-being. This approach makes physical activity a delightful, lasting part of your lifestyle, transforming fitness into a celebration of the body’s capabilities.4
A New York Times article suggests that embracing joyful movement can profoundly enhance your mood. Developed by a psychologist and rooted in scientific research, this specialized workout introduces six uplifting movements aimed at fostering positive emotions. These exercises can be customized to suit your comfort level, enabling you to experience their mood-boosting benefits at your own pace. Adding upbeat music or crafting a personalized playlist can further amplify the experience. By exploring a range of outdoor activities, group workouts, and music-driven movements, individuals have the opportunity to discover their own joy of movement and enjoy a significant uplift in mood.5
Harvard Health Publishing advises finding a tailored mix of physical activities suitable for individual capabilities. Regardless of weight, exercising safely and joyfully is key. Starting gradually, such as by sitting less and walking more, is recommended. Seeking professional guidance, exploring diverse activities, and addressing anxiety or fear of falling are crucial steps toward a healthier lifestyle.6
Choosing a movement that feels good is essential for enjoying physical activity, rejecting the "burn to earn it" mentality, and validating all forms of movement, ensuring that you stick with it and reap its benefits.
Ongoing physical improvement is crucial for health and independence, with mobility linked to freedom and immobility to dependency. Exercise plays a vital role in maintaining and recovering health, benefiting both body and mind, especially for conditions like spinal cord injuries, low back pain, and heart disease. Physical activity helps in pain reduction, rehabilitation, and disease prevention by enhancing muscle conditioning and cardio-respiratory fitness. However, promoting sustained physical activity can be challenging due to sedentary lifestyles and low prioritization. Effective promotion requires considering individual motivations, contexts, and personal meanings of exercise to tailor support effectively. Continuous support and understanding of the personal significance of physical activity are essential for integrating movement into daily life.7
Summary
The joyful movement focuses on enjoying physical activity, encouraging individuals to choose activities they genuinely like, and making exercise a source of happiness. It is inclusive and practical for all body types, considering both physical and mental aspects influenced by environment, timing, context, and social or political conditions.
Physical Sensation and Experience: Joy in movement can be a physical sensation or a meaningful experience.
- Sources of Joy: Creativity, wonder, harmony, friendship, fulfilment, challenge, risk, empathy, and competition.
- Social Factors: Acceptance and acknowledgement enhance the joy of movement, while exclusion can lead to discomfort and withdrawal.
- Importance: Crucial for well-being, personal growth, and social learning.
- Facilitation: Physical educators play a vital role in creating supportive and meaningful movement experiences.
- Benefits: Engaging in enjoyable physical activities, particularly in fall-prevention programs, improves balance, mobility, and mental well-being.
- Choose Enjoyable Activities: Select activities you find enjoyable or at least don't dread.
- Focus on Health Benefits: Prioritize overall health rather than changing body size.
- Exercise with Friends or Loved Ones: Make it more fun and set realistic goals.
- Incorporate Movement into Daily Routine: Activities like gardening or walking your dog.
- Seek Inspiration: From stories of others who have found joy in movement.
Joyful Movement Approach: Shifts focus from obligation to pleasure, and encourages playful and varied activities.
Mental and Emotional Well-Being: By incorporating nature and sustainable habits, physical activity becomes a delightful, lasting part of your lifestyle.
New York Times Article: Joyful movement enhances mood through specialized workouts designed to foster positive emotions.
Harvard Health Publishing: Advises finding a tailored mix of activities, exercising safely, and addressing fears to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Physical and Mental Health: Exercise is crucial for maintaining and recovering health, particularly for conditions like spinal cord injuries, low back pain, and heart disease.
Pain Reduction and Disease Prevention: Enhances muscle conditioning and cardio-respiratory fitness.
- Sedentary Lifestyles: Everyday life often involves minimal physical activity.
- Low Prioritization: Exercise is often given a low priority in busy lifestyles.
- Individual Consideration: Effective promotion should consider individual motivations, situational contexts, and personal meanings of exercise.
- Continuous Support: Understanding the personal significance of physical activity is essential for integrating movement into daily life.
What are the principles of joyful movement?
Joyful movement is a way of approaching physical activity that emphasizes pleasure, choice, flexibility, celebration, and intuition.
Is joyful movement the same as exercise?
Joyful movement is more of a mindset that encourages you to find exercise in fun, unlikely places.
What are the 5 movement principles?
Movement Principles Includes Five sections: Whole Body Movement, Trunk Integration, Lower Body Training, Upper Body Training, Mobility and Restoration.
References
- Ingulfsvann LS, Moe VF, Engelsrud G. Unpacking the joy of movement – ‘it’s almost never the same’. Sport, Education and Society [Internet]. 2 septembrie 2022 [citat 4 iunie 2024];27(7):816–29. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13573322.2021.1927695
- Carlucci C, Kardachi J, Bradley SM, Prager J, Wyka K, Jayasinghe N. Evaluation of a community-based program that integrates joyful movement into fall prevention for older adults. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine [Internet]. ianuarie 2018 [citat 5 iunie 2024];4:233372141877678. Available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2333721418776789
- Beyond body positivity: what is joyful movement? [Internet]. 2021 [citat 5 iunie 2024]. Available at: https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/beyond-body-positivity-what-is-joyful-movement
- Joyful movement: redefining exercise beyond the gym [Internet]. [citat 5 iunie 2024]. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/joyful-movement-redefining-exercise-beyond-gym-hackett-ms-rdn-viedc
- McGonigal K. The joy workout. The New York Times [Internet]. 24 mai 2022 [citat 5 iunie 2024]; Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/well/move/joy-workout-exercises-happiness.html
- DipABLM EPF MD, FACLM. Harvard Health. 2023 [citat 5 iunie 2024]. Safe, joyful movement for people of all weights. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/safe-joyful-movement-for-people-of-all-weights-202303152902
- Angel S. Movement perceived as chores or a source of joy: a phenomenological-hermeneutic study of physical activity and health. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being [Internet]. 7 septembrie 2018 [citat 5 iunie 2024];13(1):1516088. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6136354/