Not every day will be your best day of movement and that is okay. It happens and sometimes it might be because of the things you did or did not do. When you suddenly cannot do an activity with ease as you did before, it’s also good to look at it in a different light as it would be the time for you to take a step back and assess what your needs are to make your movement better.
I wanted to share about this because one morning, while I was working out and was doing my regular routine. I was not doing anything new and did not increase weights at all. However, it felt really heavy in my legs and I had a difficult time getting through the movement.
Also, a couple of weeks ago while I was practicing yoga, I noticed that my balance was off. I know that my balance is fairly strong especially because I did years of ballet so I did pretty well standing on one leg. However, in that particular yoga class, I was falling all over the place and had a difficult time balancing on one leg.
Another time that I could share when my movement was off was when I went to the tennis court and felt like my body weighed a million pounds and it was as if I was moving through molasses. I really did not have a good day on the tennis court that time.
It’s frustrating because you may wonder what is happening with you and why is it that the movement you are trying to do is so difficult unlike on the other days you were doing it. So I put together a couple of questions you can ask yourself when your movement is feeling more difficult so you can assess what your needs are and have them fulfilled.
Question Number 1: How Did I Sleep
This question is not just about how you slept last night. It’s more of a question about how have you been sleeping in general for the past couple of days or weeks.
Like what I mentioned above, when I was exercising and doing my normal routine one morning, and it felt difficult to move through the routine, I know that the night before that I did not sleep well. I only slept for around five hours and that is not the best sleep for me. I need at least seven and a half to eight hours of sleep, and if I go past that mark, I would feel groggy.
So what you need to be asking yourself is if you slept enough, slept too much, or was your sleep broken up during the night.
This is something you can assess to see how you can change your sleep at night to help you be able to move better the next day.
Question Number 2: Have I Drank Enough Water
If you are not drinking enough water, not only will you feel tired but also feel heavy and sluggish in your body. Our bodies are made up of 70 percent water so we need water to create that energy for the things that we want to do.
Question Number 3: Have I Eaten Enough Or Have I Eaten Too Much
If I haven’t eaten enough, I am feeling light-headed, tired, and having a difficult time getting through the workout.
Sometimes, I manage my toddler so much that I do not manage my needs very well. During the exercise routine that I could not get through with ease, I did not eat that much and so I had to stop in the middle of the routine to eat some peanut butter just so I can finish what I was doing.
Question Number 4: Have I Given Myself Enough Rest
Sometimes, we do so many activities in a row that we do not give ourselves and our bodies the time to rest. It does not mean you have to lie down and not move because rest can be just going on walks, doing restorative yoga, meditating, or other activities that work for you, which you know would help you rest.
If you are not getting enough rest, your muscles will not have enough time to recover. This then leads to having difficulty in moving the way you want to move.
I had a blog about this in the past and that can be helpful if you are struggling to find ways to make yourself feel a little more restored and having more energy. You can read it here.
Question Number 5: Where Are You In Your Menstrual Cycle
For those who menstruate, this is a specific question. When you are having difficulty in your movement, where you are in your menstrual cycle can sometimes have something to do with it.
For me, when I am in the phase of ovulation, I will have more energy. However, during the first days of my period, I would feel a little bit more sluggish. It’s something to look at and track because it will help you to not be so hard on yourself because the workout might have not gone as planned because of it.
Question 6: Was Today More Stressful Than Usual
During the times that you just have so many things going on and you have a lot on your plate, you may feel more stressed out. And when you are more stressed out, your energy is not as high and your movement practice will feel sluggish.
It does not mean that the stress will go away, but you can assess the situation knowing that you are in a lot of stress and you do not end up beating yourself up as to why your workout did not go so well.
Conclusion
After assessing these questions, you can decide on what needs to be done. Sometimes, however, nothing needs to be done, but it’s good to be aware of how you are moving.
If none of these questions are helpful, just know that sometimes we have off days that cannot be explained and that is okay. No matter what, though, the big thing is to let go of perfection and allow your body to be where it is when you are moving.
It’s all about adjusting to the situation. For example when you are doing yoga and you do not feel like you can do the movements you’ve been doing, do more of the child’s pose and put your feet up. When you are lifting weights, maybe you should not lift quite as heavy. If you are doing your sport, choose a different activity that will preserve your energy a little bit more.
So, again, the point of movement is not to be perfect but to bring more joy into your life. If you are getting to this place that you are upset all the time because your movement is not the way you want it to be, it will take the joy out of the movement and you will not be moving consistently. Just remember that if you did not show up your best today, it is only one day and tomorrow may be better.
I hope these questions will help you assess how you are feeling and how to make your movement a little more joyful and better.