Wants and Needs: Listening to Your Body

Hey #fitfam

I was really inspired to write about our wants and needs, the signs our bodies give us and what it really means to listen to our bodies.

The human is so complex (and interesting) and our bodies have many systems in order to survive and thrive. Part of what makes the human so complex is the separation between mind and body so when we talk about listening to our body, today I am mostly talking about the relationship between mind and body. Seeing these things as two distinct parts to one whole is important in creating a healthy relationship.

Wants vs Needs

As a personal trainer, some clients come in and WANT to chat, but they also NEED movement. Some clients want to lift heavy, but they need more mobility. Some clients want to do high intensity workouts, but they need breathwork and core stability,

Our bodies are similar in this: sometimes I want chocolate but likely, I need water. Or sometimes my back hurts so I want to lay around, but I actually need stretching and trunk activation. (But of course, sometimes you actually do need rest.)

Our wants satisfy our minds and our needs satisfy our bodies... at least in this context.

I want to eat the chocolate for mental comfort. I need to drink the water to hydrate my body and life. I want to chat to let off steam. I need movement to express energy and release endorphins. I want to lift heavy to hulk out, but I need to work my range of motion to prevent injury and lift heavier.

Knowing the difference and being aware of really what is happening is paramount in listening to our bodies and making the best choices for them at any given time.

A delicate balance

None of this to say that we should ignore our wants and only focus on our needs... what fun would that be? I think that part of what makes us happy is keeping a balance of what we want and what we need.

Just like in the case of a child- they need to eat lunch and they want cookies... so maybe they eat lunch and then have cookies! We can have both! But it is a delicate balance.

Being too rigid in needs or too indulgent in wants can lead to crisis.

This is the case of not eating any cookies ever, or instead of having one, having eight. So just because my mind wants ten cookies doesn't mean I should have ten cookies. And just because I need to study, doesn't mean I should never have a life. A delicate balance. And that's hard because life is hard and messy and constantly changing!

Mind & Body Connection

A great place to start is from the beginning, how did we sleep last night? This can indicate energy levels, and being in touch with how you slept can help guide your choices for the day in a way that is best for you. Sometimes, we still need to function and push forward even if we didn't get good sleep, and that's just how life goes. But sometimes, because we didn't sleep well, we can modify our choices for the day to be able to get more from the day in the big picture.

Having a check in with the physical body can be a next step. Simply bringing awareness to muscles and bones, and parts of the body, we can identify any soreness or stiffness. This also can indicate asymmetries that could use additional love in our stretching or more attention during our lifts and patterns. I don't believe in coincidence. So any information the body is giving you is at least worth taking note!

If I've slept really well, and I'm a little sore but feeling good- it's time to hit it, If I"m really stressed out and haven't slept much, maybe some accessory and stability work is better and safer.

One could argue that you need consistency in your tough workouts. And I agree. However, if you get sick or injured because you were not listening to your body, are you better off for being consistent in going hard? And it depends how your life is and what your goals are... an elite athlete is going to train and tolerate more, but an accountant and parent of two might not need to push it.

On the other hand, I never said to skip the workout,

Modifying and adapting to get it done in the safest AND most effective way. Still make it to the mat. Still get some movement in, and then reassess. Sometimes after the warm up, I check back in and I'm actually ready to kill it, And sometimes, I talk myself into just getting through it... even if it's modified.

Sometimes, I decide that it will be a lighter day but then end up pushing myself hard anyways because I was feeling better than I thought.

Checks and Balances

As I said, it is definitely a delicate balance. So we need some checks.

I start with the yesterday, today, tomorrow.

If I crushed it yesterday, maybe today is a bit easier and that's okay that I'm super sore and need to take it easy. But maybe I can push it again today because I don't have time to workout tomorrow. If I ate completely vegan yesterday and today, maybe tomorrow I can enjoy sushi with friends. Or I had sweets yesterday and today, so no sweets tomorrow.

Next is the weekly check in. How many times have I pushed it as hard as I can this week? How many times have I done mobility and joint work? How many nights have I slept well this week? The weekly's keep time in check.

Then we move to the month. How many times have I went to failure this month? (<--This may not apply to everyone). How many rest days did I have this month? How much work/stress did I have outside of my personal life this month?

The checks and balances are important for the times that I keep pushing off the hard workout for tomorrow or next week. But then I just never really get to it. At some point, I have to just buck up and do it because I need to- because it's good for me

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These check ins matter! You can understand a lot with more information. Some people keep track of these, and I used to but now that I've been doing it for several years, I don't necessarily need to journal or record all of these. I keep a running track in my head and I like to constantly refer back to the movement that I've done, the food I've eaten, and the fun I've had with friends and family. Because It's all important. And after awhile, you practice and can notice patterns so it gets easier to remember.

The Different Signs

The literal listening to our bodies can be a little tricky. You know when you get in a stretch and you can hardly breathe? Listening to the breath, could tell another observer or a trainer, that there is tightness. So when I am working with my body, listening to the breath is always extremely informative. For physical sensations, being particular with your words and attention is also very helpful.

Some helpful questions-

Is there pain? Or just discomfort? Does it feel like it's stretching or pulling? Can you point to the area of pain with one finger? Is it sharp or dull? How intense is this stretch? On a scale of 1 to 10?

Knowing when to push past

Like a child... or me, wanting ten cookies, sometimes I don't feel like working out. And I say that I"m tired. But if I have slept well and didn't workout hard yesterday, it may be time to drag my butt up and do it anyway. Or drag myself away from the cookies. Thinking about the interplay between mind and body is so fun to me. Sometimes my mind is dragging my body to the gym. And sometimes my body is dragging my mind away from the cookies.

On a deeper level

Sometimes I'm depressed, and it is okay to spend some designated time resting or alone. But at some point, I need to get up and go exercise and see people. And this can be really hard. Sometimes are harder than others. But it's important to push past the immediate wants when it's time for what you really do need. Sunlight, water, good food, social connection (in real life), movement, etc.

I hope this sheds a little light on some tendencies or simplifies needs vs wants, or really I hope reading this helped in any way! These are my viewpoints based on my experience and education but I always welcome more information so if you have anything to share, feel free because I would love to hear it<3

Have a great day fam, and a weekend filled with your wants and needs!