Day 11: Movement is Medicine, Not Punishment
September Rentrée Series
🍂 Welcome to the September Rentrée! Every weekday this month, you'll get one bold, bite-sized piece to spark reflection, shift your habits, and help you design a life that feels good in real life. 1 month. 20 bold truths. A life-changing September. In France, la rentrée (the return) is a national event. It's about fresh routines, new ideas, and intentional renewal. And that's exactly the energy we're bringing here!
You don’t actually hate exercise.
You hate the soul-sucking, rigid, joyless version of it the wellness industry sold you.
Spin classes you dread.
HIIT sessions that feel like punishment.
Long runs that make you want to cry.
That’s not movement. That’s misery dressed up as discipline.
A client once told me, dead serious: “I hate exercise.”
Then she started talking about badminton with her son. Her whole face changed, lit up with laughter, fun, connection.
She didn’t hate moving her body. She hated the box she thought movement had to fit into.
Movement isn’t about calorie burn.
It’s about chemistry.
Joyful movement floods your brain with dopamine and serotonin, the good stuff.
Stress drops. Mood lifts. And suddenly your body feels like an ally, not an enemy.
Do this today:
Reframe the Question: Instead of “What exercise should I do?”, ask “What sounds fun right now?”
Focus on the Feeling: After you move, pause. Notice the shift. More energy? Less stress? That’s the payoff.
Start Insultingly Small: Two squats after brushing your teeth. A stretch after coffee. Build from there.
Ask yourself: What if movement wasn’t a punishment… but a privilege?
The payoff: You stop white-knuckling workouts you hate. You start building a life where movement is your feel-good shortcut. Reliable. Effortless. Joyful.
With love,
Noemie
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