Power Rolling Through Life: Movement as Medicine
"We all need our version of the power roll, that reminder we can roll forward and rise again.”
This blog will begin featuring articles on the four pillars of Resilience for Progress: Physical, Personal, Professional, and Prosperity. Each one plays a role in creating a fulfilling, resilient life. Today, I’m starting with the Physical pillar and why I believe movement is truly medicine.
There was a season of my life when movement kept me steady. In the midst of my divorce, life felt especially chaotic and I was pushing through a whirlwind of emotions. I was helping my boys cope, navigating financial separation, and learning to manage a household on my own. During that time, the 45 minutes I spent at the gym each day became my only “me time.”
Exercise stopped being a chore and started becoming my lifeline. The gym wasn’t about calories or competition. It was my happy place, the one space where I could shut out the noise and just take care of me.
One move in particular, the power roll, became a kind of metaphor. You sit on the floor, roll back, then spring forward and jump to standing. It is playful, almost childlike, yet powerful. One day, another woman, Amy, was doing the move when one of us rolled right into a dumbbell, bumping our head. It hurt for a second and was awkward, but we laughed it off and kept going. Soon after, Amy and I began connecting outside the gym, realizing we were both navigating a difficult season. In the months after, she became my best friend and we started saying we were “power rolling through life.” Looking back, it was the perfect image: sometimes you get knocked down, but you gather your strength, roll forward, and rise again.
Starting this new rhythm was not easy. I had never been an early bird, but I began setting my alarm for 5:45 a.m. To make sure I did not back out, I went to sleep in my gym clothes for almost two years: sports bra, leggings, tank top and all. A friend once told me, “You’ll feel like crap taking off gym clothes without getting the workout done.” That small trick helped me build consistency, even on the hardest mornings.
What I discovered is that movement builds more than strength. It fuels the energy to handle daily life. It creates small victories that build confidence. And when we feel physically well, it sustains our resilience so we can bring more of ourselves to relationships, work, and even how we manage our resources.
For me, physical wellness is not about running fast or lifting a certain weight. It is about feeling good in my own skin and building a sense of longevity. Movement helps me show up fully for myself and for others.
We all need our version of the power roll, that reminder we can roll forward and rise again.
At the upcoming Resilience for Progress retreat, we will explore how movement, relationships, purpose, and prosperity each play a role in whole-life wellness. If this idea of “movement as medicine” resonates with you, I would love for you to join me in discovering the other pillars and what they can unlock in your own life.