I Know I Should Exercise But: The Myth Busting New Book on Why We Get Stuck

“Permission to move granted.” When I read that line in, I Know I Should Exercise But, the new release by Dr. Diana Hill and Katy Bowman, I was intrigued. To find out more, I went to a workshop they were hosting at Yoga Soup, where the authors put their movement where their mouths are. The circle of attendees each started sharing a bit about their own experiences with various forms of being blocked.

One man shared that after he lost his writing partner, who was also his romantic partner, he really missed having a collaborator. These brainstorming sessions they would have usually happened while walking. Since the break-up, both his walking and his writing have stopped. Dr. Hill deftly navigated his situation by observing how these three pieces (his movement, his romantic life, and his writing) had become entangled. You could see the light bulb moment in real time as he realized the truth behind her observation.

I asked Dr. Hill what prompted them to write this book. “There are thousands of books out there on how to and why we should exercise – from 30-day plans to why movement is so good for you – but nothing on the psychological barriers to moving our bodies. If we know that exercise is so good for us and have the 30-day plan to do it. Why can’t we follow through? Only a quarter of Americans meet the CDC guidelines for exercise; there’s got to be more going on than just that we are ‘lazy.’ This book addresses the psychological and hidden barriers to movement – things like our thoughts, our feelings, and our motivation
to move.”

I am always fascinated by the power of events like the one I attended. It can take complete strangers and turn them into matcha-drinking soldiers in the same trenches of life. This battalion of blocked movers shared with one another various challenges they were having, and the camaraderie and support formed were immediate. “I used to ride my bike around town, but it got stolen,” one woman shared. And the woman next to her said, “I have an extra bike you can have.” Seriously. 

As they led the participants in guided imagery, introspection, and planning for action, Bowman and Hill shared tidbits of wisdom along the way. We get caught in a loop of what movement needs to look like, they explained; the gym, running, lifting weights. Instead, they suggested, seek adventure and curiosity. Find a park nearby and go for a stroll. Rather than meeting a friend just for coffee, go for a coffee walk. If you sit at a desk for work, alternate sitting and standing every 30-minutes. Do phone calls while pacing around your office. You get the idea. It is thinking outside of the boxing gloves so to speak.

It seems the two authors were destined to meet. Diana first discovered “nutritious movement” when she was raising a toddler and a baby while struggling to get to the gym. Later, she interviewed Katy on her podcast, which sparked Katy’s interest in the psychology of movement. Katy then interviewed Diana in return, and they quickly realized they were an ideal match. With Katy’s fresh approach to incorporating movement into daily life and Diana’s expertise in overcoming psychological barriers, they formed a perfect partnership – one that blends nutritious movement principles with psychological flexibility. 

In the book, they address the many reasons why people may have barriers to movement; body image issues making them feel uncomfortable working out in public, time challenges with work and family obligations, being on your feet all day so you are too tired to work out, lack of consistency, not knowing where to start – and the list goes on. The book helps you identify your resistance, and then how to apply the science-based tools for altering those maladaptive thought patterns. 

Hill mentioned that a quarter of Americans are not meeting the CDC’s guidelines for movement. She is referring to the CDC’s suggestion that we get 150 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity each week. In the 10,080 minutes of our week (yes, I Googled that), that isn’t a lot – and yet many of us struggle to reach it. Why is that? While the answers are as diverse as our population, many people agree to just not having enough time. But most people seem to find the time to watch the latest season of White Lotus? Hill and Bowman’s book may be onto something. We know we need to move more, as in our lives really depend on it. So why aren’t we?

Read the book and find out and if your personal barrier to movement isn’t in there. “Tune into Hill’s” podcast, “Wise Effort,” or Bowman’s podcast, “Nutritious Movement,” and you might unearth your own personal ‘AHA!’ moment.

I asked Hill what they want people to take away from the read. “Moving your body may just start with being more flexible in your mind. If you are struggling to get the exercise you need, it’s not because there is something wrong with you or that you are lazy. With psychological flexibility you can overcome pretty much any barrier to moving your body. The tools you learn in the book – perspective taking, cognitive flexibility, acceptance, being present, values, committed action and self-compassion – can be applied to any movement barrier you face.”

Permission to move, granted.