What's the best kind of exercise for your body?

 

I'll give you a hint: it's probably not the same as what's best for your sister. Or, your best friend. Or, your great aunt Lucy. Just as we are unique in what foods are best for our individual bodies, we are also unique in what kind of exercise suits us. 

 

For years, I thought I should be a runner. Why? Because that was "the best form of exercise". After all, all the health gurus said that's what you should do if you wanted to be fit. And I did see people running in my neighborhood everyday. And besides, my best friend was a runner. Everyone was running! Why not me? But, did I like running? Well... honestly, meh. I tried it for awhile, even got pretty decent at it. But, ultimately, it just didn't do it for me. 

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I grew up learning dance - tap and ballet and jazz. And, I'd 'choreograph' my own dances in my kitchen as a teenager (usually when I was supposed to be doing homework, ehem...). I also practiced gymnastics - and I do mean practiced. I'd practice doing cartwheels, walkovers, and handstands, and I'd see how many steps I could walk across the living room on my hands. Got up to 17 one day!

 

That was my thing:  doing something creative with my body that didn't involve pounding the life out of it on the street. And now, after trying running, walking, the gym, I've come all the way back around to realize that what works best for me is exercise that is dance-based. Specifically, I'm a big fan of Cardio Barre and Ballet Bodies, and I do ballet-based exercises in my living room as well. Those things make me happy, and they give me the kind of body I want.

 

All this to say, there is no "best form of exercise". There's only the best form of exercise for you. You've gotta find what your body likes, how it likes to move, and do that. Do you like something creative like dance? Or, relaxing and energizing like yoga? Or, enduring like running or cross-country skiing? Competitive like swimming, diving, gymnastics, track and field, fencing, figure skating, bobsledding, snowboarding (I love the Olympics, can you tell?)? How about team sports like soccer, football, or ice hockey (Go Kings, Go!)? Tune in to what your body likes, what your personality likes, and move in that direction. It doesn't matter how you move, it only matters that you move!