A Guide to How Joyful Movement Can Support Your Recovery Journey
Do you find yourself swinging between extremes when it comes to exercise? Either doing too much or not moving at all?
If so, you’re not alone.
Many, especially those healing from disordered eating or years of body-focused pressure, struggle to maintain a consistent and self-caring movement practice. For some, movement has been tied to punishment, control, or the pursuit of thinness. For others, it’s something they avoid altogether…Until guilt kicks in and pushes them back into overdoing it.
If that sounds familiar, you might feel stuck in an all-or-nothing cycle. The idea of joyful movement might even feel out of reach, like it’s only for people who already have a good relationship with exercise.
This blog explores what joyful movement actually means, why it's a helpful reframe for recovery, and why it's also okay if not all movement feels joyful. Movement can be valuable even when it’s neutral, messy, or simply done for your physical well-being.
Update August 2025: This blog was originally published in 2023 and has been updated to include a more nuanced view of joyful movement, especially the importance of recognising that not all movement needs to feel joyful to count.
Here’s what you’ll find in this post:
What is joyful movement?
Why joyful movement is important
Common barriers to joyful movement
How to practise joyful movement
Joyful movement ideas you may not have thought of
Whether you find yourself over-exercising, avoiding movement entirely, or flip-flopping between the two, this post is for you. You might be feeling disconnected from your body, unsure how to move in a way that feels good (or even safe).
I use the words “movement” and “exercise” interchangeably here, though I know for many, “exercise” can carry painful memories. When I asked my community, most said they preferred the word “movement”, so that’s the language you’ll see more of in this post.
A healthier relationship with movement is possible. One rooted in care, not control.
Get comfy, and let’s explore how movement can support (not sabotage) your recovery.
What is Joyful Movement?
This blog post follows on from my "Mindful Movement Principles" blog post. Principle number four is enjoying yourself. Joyful movement is the act of exercising in a way that brings you joy (okay, stay with me). Moving in ways that you find pleasurable, as opposed to engaging in the physical activity you think you "should" be doing. Therefore, choice is key when it comes to joyful movement. Movement can look different depending on what you feel you’ll enjoy in that particular moment. On some days, that might look like a high-intensity class. Other days, you might fancy a gentle Pilates class. Regardless of what you choose, it’s centred around what's best for you and your body in that moment.
Why Joy and Safety Matter in Movement (and why not all movement needs to feel joyful to be healing)
Our survival depends on our ability to recognise what is a helpful experience versus what experiences are harmful. This requires not only being able to decipher our bodies' cues for danger but also their cues for safety. Both of these states are regulated by our autonomic nervous system.
Triggers occur whenever we don’t have the capacity to cope with a perceived threat. Whenever this happens, our autonomic nervous system sees this as a threat to life and activates our survival mode response (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn).
Glimmers is a term coined by Deb Dana, a social worker and trauma expert, who describes them as micro-moments that occur when we experience cues of safety. When we feel safe, we’re able to connect to ourselves, others, and the environment around us.
As we increase our awareness of these micro-moments, they build up and can eventually create a shift in our autonomic nervous system state. Taking us from feeling an impending sense of dread or feeling numb to relaxing into a true felt sense of safety.
Experiencing joy is one of the body’s signals of safety, and movement is one way that we can access cues of joy.
Movement is important for both our mental and physical health. The benefits of exercise include:
Increased ability to tolerate stress
Alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Increases cognitive health
Lower blood pressure
Lower risk for certain chronic diseases (such as osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes)
Helps build and maintain lean body mass (a key factor in slowing down age-related muscle loss)
Improved blood sugar regulation
Better heart and lung strength
Reduced inflammation
Barriers to Joyful Movement
Joyful movement requires us to bring our focus to our internal experiences. Our ability to sense and connect to our visceral (interoception) and musculoskeletal (proprioception) systems, as opposed to living in our heads, can form a key component of our mindfulness practice that supports both our mental and physical well-being.
Focusing on numbers
While movement can change aspects of your body, like increasing muscle mass or shifting body composition, focusing on these changes as your main reason to move often makes it harder to build a consistent, sustainable practice. There are many benefits to exercise that have nothing to do with aesthetics. That internal glow-up that we get from exercise increases our quality of life, improves our overall health, and will help keep us mobile for many years to come.
What’s more, when we approach exercise from a place of wanting to shrink our bodies, we run the risk of using exercise in a way that is harmful and unsustainable. This, in turn, increases our risk for injury and burnout, both of which can impact our ability to move and reap the long-term benefits of exercise.
Not making time (being overly busy)
Constantly being on the go can lead to overwhelm, exhaustion, and disconnection from our needs. Feeling the need to constantly be busy can be a sign of deeper underlying issues, such as unresolved trauma or low self-esteem, and it is often a way that a person distracts themselves from uncomfortable feelings and emotions.
Rushing around day in and day out can leave little time for self-care activities such as joyful movement. If this sounds like you, I can tell you that you are not alone. The inability to slow down or stop is a common barrier that comes up in sessions with clients who are struggling to nourish and care for their bodies.
From the perspective of the autonomic nervous system, a person who doesn’t feel safe enough to slow down, stop, or rest is most likely living in fight-or-flight survival mode. This can cause joyful movement to either not happen at all, have too high an intensity (unable to slow down), or be excessive (unable to rest).
Diet mentality
Diet mentality taught us to disconnect from our bodies and ignore our needs. We are praised for disconnecting from hunger and satisfaction cues. We put our life goals on hold until we shrink our bodies. We deny ourselves love and self-compassion because we cannot connect our emotional needs.
When recovering from years of chronic dieting and compensatory behaviours, exercise can be seen as needing to "count." This gives a person a narrow view of all the wonderful ways that we can move our bodies (examples below). Moreover, they end up engaging in exercise they do not enjoy or that is not self-care for their bodies. When you focus on joy, you’re more likely to move your body regularly and find a sustainable way to do so.
Being undernourished
The body needs sufficient energy to support all its physiological processes in order to maintain optimal health. When your caloric intake doesn’t match the intensity of your exercise, the body will use a range of protective adaptations. These include slowing down metabolic rate, downregulating digestive and reproductive functions and immune system suppression. Insufficient energy is considered a threat to life and can therefore activate our fight-or-flight survival mode. This often exacerbates mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Past experiences
In my conversation with fat liberationist Nicola Haggett, we talked about body stories. Our bodies have a story, and for many, their current relationship with movement has been influenced by that story. For this reason, it’s important to give yourself permission to take your time with this journey. Rushing ahead to where you feel you "should" be is unlikely to make you feel joyful or safe. It might even be helpful to make some space to reflect on the role exercise has played for you in the past.
Nervous System Regulation and Movement: How to Find What Your Body Needs
Not all movement will feel the same in your body. Depending on your nervous system state, you might need movement that grounds and soothes you, or you might need movement that helps you release pent-up energy and reconnect with your body.
Movement to Release Stress or High Energy (Fight/Flight):
If you're feeling agitated, restless, anxious, or like your energy is buzzing just under the skin, your body might be in a fight-or-flight response. For some people, trying to calm down in this state can feel impossible. In these cases, moving through the energy first can be more supportive.
Here are some movements that can help you discharge stress and come back to a grounded state:
Shaking out your hands, arms, legs or feet (used in somatic and trauma release work)
Bouncing or rebounding (on the floor, a trampoline, or a Swiss ball)
Dancing—freestyle, guided, or to a favourite playlist
Rhythmic activities like marching in place, skipping, or stepping side-to-side
Light cardio bursts (e.g., shadowboxing, jogging on the spot, stair climbing)
Skipping with or without a rope
Drumming or body percussion
Swinging or using a swing if accessible
Fast-paced walking with strong arm swings or stomping
Movement led by someone you feel emotionally safe with (helps with co-regulation)
The intention behind these types of movement isn’t to burn calories or punish your body. They can help your nervous system process that excess buzzy energy and bring your body back into balance.
Movement to Soothe and Reconnect (Freeze, Overwhelm, or Shutdown):
If you’re feeling flat, disconnected, overwhelmed or emotionally numb, your nervous system might be in a freeze or fawn response. In this state, starting slow and gently reconnecting to the body can be more supportive than pushing through.
These calming movements can help bring you back into connection with your body:
Floor-based or supported movements (e.g., restorative yoga, gentle Pilates, somatic stretches)
Lying on the floor and feeling supported by gravity
Gentle rocking, swaying, or rhythmic side-to-side movements
Barefoot movement that allows you to feel texture (grass, rugs, floorboards, yoga mat)
Slow walking while tuning into your senses (sight, smell, sound)
Rolling or pressure-based movement with foam rollers or massage balls
Weighted objects (e.g., blankets or light resistance bands) during movement
Gentle stretching with long exhales
Movement with a safe person nearby or guiding you
Touching or holding your body as you move (e.g., hand on heart, gentle tummy rub)
These are just a few suggestions to try out.
The best practice is to check in with yourself throughout to see if you’re feeling dysregulated or alert and relaxed. This links back to mindful exercise principle number two, supporting the self.
Which Type of Movement Do You Need Today?
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Some days, your body will want to discharge, other days it will need to soothe. And some days, it might want both.
You can ask:
Am I buzzing with energy I need to move through?
Do I feel shut down and need help reconnecting?
What feels most nourishing in this moment: stillness, rhythm, or release?
Let this be an experiment. There’s no right or wrong. Your body is always communicating with you, and you’re learning how to listen.
Focus on how it feels
Pilates Mentor and Instructor Joanne Cobbe mentioned the importance of bringing awareness to the sensations that you feel in your body during exercise during our interview. That stretch that feels just like what your body needs. Understanding whether you are challenging your body in a way that will build strength and mobility. Knowing what your comfortable range of movement is for a particular move.
The more attuned you become to these sensations, the more you will be able to move from a place of self-care as opposed to self-punishment or self-harm.
Don’t worry if you’re not yet able to sense safety or pleasant sensations during movement. Feeling disconnected or unsure is a valid part of the process. Simply noticing that is a meaningful step toward reconnection.
Journal prompt: What are the thoughts and feelings that you experience when movement comes from a self-caring place as opposed to when it’s coming from a punitive place? Track how that feels before, during, and after movement.
Dress comfortably
Social media will have you believe that you have to dress like a model on a fitness magazine cover to move. You can. But it’s definitely not a prerequisite. Especially if you feel uncomfortable. Clothes can feel uncomfortable for a so many reasons. Body dissatisfaction, personal preference, sensory processing disorders, and body changes. Wear the clothes you feel comfortable in. Textures, support, the cut, the fit and even the colours. All of these can make the difference between moving with joy or feeling uncomfortable.
Affirmation: My body deserves to feel comfortable.
Find joy in regular daily activities
Bringing your attention to the movements that you already do can be one way to start to introduce some joy to movement. Perhaps, instead of rushing to the train station each morning, you play your favourite playlist or take some time to take in your surroundings.
Taking time to play a game on the way to or from the school run, dancing around the house as you clean or cook, I realise this might mean that these activities may take longer (and I definitely don’t know much about school runs), so it might help to plan joyful movement so it fits with your schedule.
Journal prompt: At what parts of the day do I feel safe to tap the brakes and slow down?
Include rest days
Rest days are important in order to reap both the physical and mental benefits of exercise. Not feeling able to take a rest day can be one sign that your relationship with exercise needs some attention. I recommend at least 2 days of rest each week.
This gives your muscles time to build and repair. It also gives us time to replenish our glycogen stores, which will help us fuel and recover for the next time we move. This takes us back to mindful movement principle number three: strengthening the self.
Lean body mass is important for a number of reasons, including maintaining blood glucose balance, maintaining bone density, and maintaining muscle strength. This is particularly important as we age because not only are we trying to slow down age-related muscle loss, but we are also more at risk for falls and fractures.
If we want our movement practise to be sustainable and to promote health, we need rest.
Journal prompt: What are the signs that my body needs more rest?
Joyful Movement Ideas (you may not have thought of)
Dancing (learn a routine, freestyle, Zumba class, alone, with your family etc)
Dancing in a chair—clapping your hands, tapping your feet, wiggling those shoulders, and bopping your head.
Skipping
Gardening
Horse riding
Going for a walk
Walking the dog
Scenic bike ride
Playing with your kids or grandchildren
Join a local sports team or club (netball, volley
Skating (roller skating, skate boarding, ice skating, inline skating)
Swimming
Skipping
Trampolining/mini trampolining
Bowling
Pole dancing
Archery
Martial arts or self-defense classes
Charity walks or runs
My pilates classes online (I like Pilates to be fun!)
Boxing (look out for my review on…
Rock climbing
Paddle boarding
Clay pigeon shooting
Badminton
Active video games (Wii Fit, Just Dance etc)
Paint balling
When Movement Isn’t Joyful
Joyful movement is a powerful reframe when exercise has been used in a punitive manner. But it’s also important to acknowledge that not all movement will feel joyful, and that doesn’t mean it doesn’t count or isn’t self-caring.
There are moments when we move not out of joy, but because we’re supporting our physical wellbeing. For example, attending physio appointments, rebuilding strength after illness, or doing resistance training to lessen age-related muscle loss as we age (that last one was definitely personal). These kinds of movement might feel neutral or even uncomfortable at times, but they can still be acts of self-care and body respect.
We’re not trying to force joy. But we do want to remove the shame around movement that doesn't feel blissful. Think of these moments as functional care where you show up for your health, whether it’s joyful or not.
Go at your own pace
I mentioned in the section on barriers to joyful movement that our relationship to exercise has often been shaped by our past experiences. Some of those experiences go back to childhood. Not being picked for sports teams in physical education at school, punitive disciplinary exercise methods, and overexercising for weight loss or as a maladaptive coping mechanism.
For some, our bodies hold memories that our nervous system is trying to protect us from in the here and now. Slowly returning to your body so that you can connect to, acknowledge, and honour its needs will set the pace for your joyful movement practice.
All movement can count when it’s approached with care, even if it’s not always joyful. Give yourself the time you need to reconnect with yourself.
Your body will be thankful you did.
