Movement as Medicine: What It Means to Move Intuitively

Giada Frazuoli
Aug 15
3 min read

Updated: Aug 16

Once upon a time, before emails, push notifications, and 10-hour Netflix marathons: movement was life. We danced around fires to celebrate. We chased dinner before it was UberEats. We sculpted the earth to grow food and carried water like it was our morning HIIT.

Back then, moving wasn't a chore to tick off between meetings... it was how we lived, loved, expressed, and thrived.

Fast forward to today...

We've traded our hunter-gatherer groove for a "scroll-and-sit" lifestyle. Our thumbs are the only muscles getting a consistent workout. We pop painkillers like Tic Tacs, wondering why we feel stuck; physically, mentally, emotionally.

It's like we've all turned into lilies floating on a stagnant pond, beautiful but slightly mushy underneath.

And yet, deep down, something in us still knows: movement is our medicine.

We've Forgotten That We Are Meant to Move

We've built a world where productivity trumps presence, where we wear "busy" like a badge, and where stillness (the bad kind) is our baseline.

But let me say this loud and clear:

Your body was made to move.

Not just in the gym. Not just when your fitness tracker guilt-trips you. But all the time with joy, curiosity, flow.

And here's the fun part: movement doesn't have to look like a squat or a plank.

It can be:

Dancing in your kitchen while your pasta boils
Walking through the woods with no agenda except fresh air and birdsong
Rolling around on the floor stretching like your cat does every damn day
Taking your shoes off and grounding yourself on grass (yep, your neighbours will survive)
Standing up mid-Zoom to sway your hips and crack your spine like bubble wrap

Forget Perfection. Try Intuitive Movement

We're so bombarded with "10 tips to sculpt your abs" and "how to burn 700 calories before 7am" that we forget how to listen to our body. Not a podcast. Not your fitness app. Your actual body.

Intuitive movement is about tuning in.

It's about asking: What do I need right now?

Do I need to stretch? Breathe? Shake it out? Nap in child's pose? Sprint like a gazelle?

There's no wrong answer. The only mistake is not asking.

Why It Works (a Quick Science-y Interlude)

Movement increases serotonin and dopamine, those feel-good brain chemicals that help fight stress, anxiety, and brain fog.
It improves cardiovascular health (yes, even gentle walking).
It boosts bone density, reduces inflammation, and improves sleep quality.
And when it's mindful, it reduces cortisol, that stress hormone that turns us into jittery raccoons.

Best part? It's free. Side-effect-free. And available whenever you are.

The Real Secret? Move Like No One's Watching (Because They're Not, They're on Their Phones)

You don't need to train like an influencer, run a marathon, or look like someone who drinks celery juice for fun. All you need to do is reconnect with the joy of movement.

Move to express, not impress. Move to feel, not to fix.

Move because your body is your home and homes are meant to be lived in, not locked up like museum pieces.

Your Daily Movement Prescription

Take as needed:

Morning: 5 minutes of stretching and deep breathing before coffee
Midday: A walk outside, phone on airplane mode, eyes up
Afternoon: A 3-minute solo dance party (yes, even if it's in socks on carpet)
Evening: Gentle mobility or a bit of floor rolling with a tennis ball and a podcast

Repeat daily. Adjust dosage depending on mood, weather, and number of existential crises.