MOVEMENT IS DELICIOUS: Simple Ways to Enjoy More Daily Movement for Well-Being

by Robin Shepard, E-RYT500, RCYT

7 Steps to Delicious Movement

Most of us live from the neck up. We think, plan, scroll, produce — and our bodies become afterthoughts we “deal with later.” Hours in chairs, hours in cars, hours in front of glowing rectangles. It’s no wonder we feel depleted, tight, restless, or disconnected. The truth is simple: a still body grows stale. A body that moves — even gently — wakes up. Movement is not punishment for what you ate, or a moral obligation. Movement is how we feel alive again. Movement is information. Movement is medicine. Movement is delicious.

Below are simple, very human ways to lace movement back into the fabric of everyday life — not as another thing on your to-do list, but as a way of coming home to yourself.

1) Start embarrassingly small

Grand plans are fragile. Micro-moves are durable. Stir your spine between emails. Step outside for 3 minutes of air and sun. Stand while on the phone. Tiny bites of movement add up faster than heroic intentions that never happen. Katy Bowman of Nutritious Movement calls these "movement snacks." Katy is a goddess of biomechanics and a practical and inspiring human and teacher. I would encouage anyone who wants to move more to check her out.

2) Chase pleasure, not rules

Your body will repeat what it enjoys. Prefer dancing in the kitchen over running five miles? Great. Garden, sway, hike, swim, hula hoop, climb a hill to watch a sunset. When the body likes it, the brain will help you come back for more.

3) Make it relational

We are herd animals; we move better together.Invite a friend for a walking date. Join a class where you are witnessed and encouraged. Social movement creates accountability without the heaviness of discipline.

4) Anchor it to something you already do

Don’t wait for motivation — build a groove.Gentle yoga before the coffee brews. A 10-minute walk right after closing the laptop. A few hip circles every time you brush your teeth. Habits are just repeated moments with a cue attached. Habit stacking is one of the easiest things you can do to make early and lasting change.

5) Move with awareness, not urgency

You don’t have to sweat to benefit. Slow down enough to feel. Breathe down into your ribs. Track sensations rather than forcing outcomes. This is where nervous systems downshift, digestion calms, and your mind gets clear again. Our bodies receive metabolic benefits from surprisingly easeful movements.

6) Let technology serve you — not rule you

Use a tracker or app only if it supports curiosity, not shame. Data can prompt movement, but sensation is the more honest teacher. I'm not gonna lie, my Oura ring has changed my life for the better in so many ways. That being said, any technology should be illuminating and additive to our lives, not make us a slave to it.

7) Be creatively disobedient

Movement is not reserved for the gym. Wiggle while you cook. Lunge down the hall. Do pelvic tilts in the car at red lights. Weed the yard. Play. Your body doesn’t care whether it looks like “exercise.” It only cares that you moved.

Why this matters

More movement — in playful, sustainable, mindful doses — changes everything downstream. Better sleep. Better mood. Wiser stress response. More fluid joints. More energy. Clearer focus. You don’t earn these benefits — your body gives them back freely once it’s in motion.

If you feel stuck, don’t wait for the right program or perfect schedule. Begin with one tiny, pleasurable, doable action today. Then another tomorrow. Your body is not asking for greatness — just for participation.

Let movement be simple, sensual, messy, human. Let movement be delicious.

To explore a deeper and highly creative interpretation, enjoy this Delicious Movement Manifesto from Japanese-born choreographer/dancers Eiko & Koma.