Listen to your Body

Listen to your Body
I will be the first person to tell you, "You Can Do This!" I will also be the first person to say if anything doesn't feel right to STOP immediately. Over the past 10 years when I first found out I was pregnant until now I have found that I have become much more in tune with my being and now fully embrace how important it is to listen to your body. This doesn't just apply to exercise but eating as well. 

Your Body Speaks to You
I have become a more intuitive eater over the last 8 months. This means listening to my body and giving it what it needs. I'm not talking about giving in to emotional cravings. (That will be another post). That is completely different, and yes, sometimes you need to give yourself permission to do that. What I am talking about is a feeling deep down that you need to eat a certain food. 

I will give you an example. This summer when we were vacationing in Colorado I got a really bad headache as soon as we got off the plane in Denver. I have been there before and know all too well how my body responds to high altitudes. It just doesn't like it. This comes from living at sea level year round. I had hydrated really well the day before flying and continued to drink lots of water. I even had himalayan salt to help balance my electrolytes. The next day I still had a pounding headache and were planning to go even higher up in the mountains. It was so bad that I asked my husband if he would stop and see if I could get some portable oxygen.

We decided that we would stop for lunch and then go to the sporting goods store in search of oxygen. It was hard for me to admit that I might need it since I am physically fit. On the way to lunch I saw a natural grocery store and wanted to pop in and get a couple specialty items in case I couldn't find them later. When I walked in the store I saw some bananas and I was drawn to them. The voice inside my head said, "Kerry, what are you doing? You don't eat bananas!" They usually taste really good but I feel bad in about an hour. I moved on and did my shopping. I headed to the register and there were the bananas - again - calling to me. This time I thought, "maybe the kids will eat some bananas." Duh! When was I going to listen to my intuition?

Are You Listening to your Body?
Well, I got in the car and they were just calling to me. Sometimes you have to hit me over the head until I listen. With my head still pounding I finally said, "I think I should just eat a banana." It was like magic. About 30 seconds after I ate the banana my headache completely disappeared. I was shocked but it didn't surprise me. It just confirmed to me how smart our bodies are and how they know what we need. The trick is learning to listen. Now when something comes up in my body I ask myself, "Where am I now? What do I need?" and I wait for the answer. Do I make mistakes? Yes and I move on and learn from it. Remember that it is much easier to give yourself a tune up than to wait until you break down completely. Be proactive in your approach to your health and mindful of what you eat. 

What about Exercise?
The few times I have been hurt while exercising it was because I ignored the signs my body was giving me. I brushed them aside. Now I know that knot in my muscle won't just go away on its own. It is my body compensating for a bigger issue. I stop what I am doing, see if I can figure out what is going on. If I can't I get professional help sooner rather than later when damage has occurred. I hope this helps those of you who are working on your health and fitness or even just getting through life. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Post your comments below.