Kali Desautels:
Exercise can feel daunting sometimes. When you are a busy person, sometimes the idea of spending time moving your body for something other than housework can feel impossible. That is how I felt before I joined the Slay Movement Collective’s 100 Days to Slay for the first time. My friends had joined and encouraged me to give it a try as well. I was not sure how I could possibly find 30 minutes every single day for a third of the year to exercise, but the fear of missing out is real and I joined with them. I have since joined the 100 Days to Slay again, and a 30 Days to Slay challenge because it turned out I not only could exercise 30 minutes a day, but I learned to look forward to my daily movement. It gave me a reason to make use of my stagnating yoga pass; it gave me a reason to spend one-on-one time with my husband while we walked the dog on sunny summer evenings; it gave me a reason to meet my friends early in the morning for a nature walk with a cup of coffee in hand.
As a plus-size woman, I was worried about the idea of a fitness challenge. I worried that I did not have the fitness level that would allow me to run in half marathons like I did when I was younger. I worried that I did not have the capacity to lift heavy weights or participate in HIIT classes. But I learned something special from the welcoming crew of the Slay Movement Collective – it was about how I wanted to move my body. There was no requirement that I participate in activities that I did not feel were in my practice. I could enjoy low-intensity walks, higher-intensity hikes, medium medium-intensity yoga classes. It did not matter what I did if I took the time to do something physical for me every day. At the end of my most recent challenge, while I no longer post my daily updates, I have continued with the 30 minutes of daily activity, because I know that I can, and I know that it makes me feel good. It gives me something to look forward to and it helps me to maintain my energy. I could not be more grateful to Lindsay Kay for founding this Collective and beginning these challenges. It feels nice to be a member of a community of individuals who also want to take time for themselves in a healthy and fulfilling way.
Kali Desautels is a writer, working for the Canadian Cancer Society, based in Maple Ridge, BC. She has participated in three Slay Movement Collective Challenges and is sincerely looking forward to the next one. Kali lives with her husband, two teenaged kids, and her dog, all of whom benefit greatly from the 100 Days to Slay.
