Your Body Is a Partner, Not a Project

Remember when you started a workout because you ate that cookie? Or stepped on the scale and let that number ruin your perfectly good day? It's time we talked about breaking free from this cycle of shame.

Shifting from punishment-based workouts to joyful movement is a game-changer, especially for women in our 40s, 50s, and beyond. We've spent decades believing exercise was something we did because we weren't good enough—a consequence rather than a celebration. But what if movement became an act of love instead? 

This episode explores how finding physical activities that genuinely excite you transforms your relationship with fitness. Whether it's dancing with abandon, walking with friends, or lifting weights to feel powerful (not to earn your dinner), joyful movement helps your body feel like a partner rather than a project.

We also tackle our complicated relationship with the scale—that small device that somehow holds immense power over our self-worth. The truth? That number doesn't measure strength, energy, happiness, improved sleep, reduced inflammation, or any of the meaningful ways your body serves you daily. When we focus on consistency and how we feel rather than arbitrary numbers, real, lasting results follow.

Your body deserves kindness, not constant criticism. Move because it feels good. Rest when you need to. And remember that being a work in progress is exactly where you should be. Text me at 913-392-2877 or email info@spandexandwine.com if you need support finding your groove again. And please, if this message resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it today.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Spandex and Wine
• 0:49 From Punishment to Joyful Movement
• 2:44 Breaking Up With The Scale
• 5:56 Consistency Over Quick Fixes
• 7:38 Episode Closing and Contact Info

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Spandex and Wine podcast. I'm your host, robin Hackney, and I'm so happy that you're here. This podcast is a place for conversations about balancing a healthy lifestyle and being happy more specifically, happy hour. Together we'll explore all things wellness and wine. I hope you learn a little, laugh a lot and, along the way, know you're not alone on this balanced wellness journey. Ready to jump in for something in your glass that makes you happy, because it's time for spandex and wine.

Speaker 1: 0:33

Hey everyone, welcome back to the spandex and wine podcast. I'm your host, robin Hackney, and today we are diving into a topic that hits close to home for so many of us, especially women in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. We're talking about shifting from punished-based workouts to joyful movement and while we're at it, we're going to have a little heart-to-heart about the scale and how it doesn't get to be the boss of us anymore. But I want to start with our weekly affirmation, where I say the affirmation, you repeat it out loud. We're going to do that three times and then we will jump into the rest of the episode. So here's your affirmation I move my body because I love it, not because I hate it. I move my body because I love it, not because I hate it. I move my body because I love it, not because I hate it.

Speaker 1: 1:39

Okay, let's be honest here for just a minute. A lot of us grew up with the idea that exercise was punishment. If you ate too much, you go run it off. You don't like how you look, it's time to grind it out in the gym. And somewhere along the way, movement stopped being something we did to feel good and become something that we did because we didn't feel good enough. But here's the thing Movement should be an act of love, not shame. It's not a consequence, it's a celebration of what our bodies can do. So what if your workouts actually brought you joy? I know for some of you they do. So that is amazing and that's a shift that I want to help you make, if you're not already there away from guilt and towards gratitude, away from I have to and into I get to. And joyful movement means finding the things that make you feel alive. So maybe it's dance, maybe it's a walk with a friend, maybe it's lifting weights to feel strong and not to earn your food. And when you connect a movement with joy instead of judgment, it changes everything, your body starts to feel like a partner and not a project, right? So if you can make that shift, it's just going to show up in different areas of your life too. I think you'll be surprised how that feels.

Speaker 1: 3:08

So if you are someone that I mean we've all done it right. We've all had that bag of chips and we're like, why the heck did I do that? And then either you starve yourself or, like I said earlier, you try and just run three miles so you can work it off. I said earlier, you try and just run three miles so you can work it off. Or if you lie awake at night and you just beat yourself up for falling off the wagon whether it be maybe it's drinking too much, maybe it was too much wine You're like holy cow, why did I do that? Now I have to work this off and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, okay. So let's shift away from that punishment. Let's learn from that, right, let's just learn what not to do again. Make that shift in your brain that you're going to tell yourself okay, now I know what not to do and then don't repeat it and move more towards joyful movement. We can do it. It's just a shift and we've done many shifts together so we can do this.

Speaker 1: 4:04

Okay, so now the scale. The scale does not tell the whole story. You guys know that and we've all been there. Maybe you're eating better, you're moving your body, you're sleeping well, you're feeling great, and then you step on the scale and suddenly you feel like a failure. You allowed that number to dictate everything. In that moment. You were feeling great and then it just changed, just like that.

Speaker 1: 4:34

So let me say this loud for the people in the back the scale doesn't measure your strength, it doesn't measure your energy, your happiness or your progress, and it doesn't show muscle gain, reduced inflammation, better digestion, improved mood or deeper sleep, and it definitely doesn't show your consistency or your courage. So sometimes your body is transforming in ways the scale can't measure. So don't let a number undo all your progress or your joy. Do not allow that scale to take that away from you. You guys, you're giving it complete control when you do and if you're a person that maybe that happens over and over ditch the scale, just get rid of it and just go by how your clothes are feeling and how you feel in general.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Now, some people they like to have a set schedule of the scale and just to help keep them on track which I would question that just a little bit too Like what is on track right? But yeah, like, find that right balance for you and don't let that take away from anything that you have been doing For me. Workouts, supplements, my morning rituals and a good night's sleep those are my non-negotiables. Not because I'm chasing a number or always looking to the scale or trying to be someone I'm not but because I feel better when I take care of myself. And guess what, the more I focused on consistency and what feels good, the more I've seen real results and the kind that last. That's the most important. So, not having that quick fix, not having that crash diet, not having that, I'm going to lose X amount of pounds before my next vacation. I mean that's nice too, but just being consistent and you're going to be more proud of yourself too. It's amazing how that works.

Speaker 1: 6:45

So here's your takeaway Move because it feels good, rest when you need to and get rid of the scale if that is something that is driving you. And remember that you're more than a number and you are a work in progress, and that is a good thing, my friends. So if this resonated with you, I would love to have you DM me and just tell me how it's going for you and maybe share this episode with a friend or someone that needs that reminder. And if you want support on your journey with supplements or movement or finding your groove again, reach out. I am just a message away. You have my email info at spandexandwinecom. You can text me 913-392-2877. So thanks for being here and, as always, just keep moving in spandex and in life. Thank you for listening.

Speaker 1: 7:41

If you're enjoying this podcast, be sure to follow Spandex Wine so you don't miss an episode. To do this, just go to the podcast and click subscribe or follow. Wherever you're listening, look for the plus sign or follow button. This is one of the best things that you can do for the podcast. If you'd also be willing to give a five-star review, that would be amazing and much appreciated. Lastly, please share an episode with a friend or five to keep the love going and join the Spandex and Wine community in our private Facebook group by searching Spandex and Wine. Feel free to reach out to me at any time by emailing info at spandexandwinecom or text me at 913-392-2877. I appreciate you. Thank you.