What Is the Evidence—and What Is the Story?

Last week, I asked you to consider a question:
​How much is enough today?​
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A member of our email community replied to say that she agreed wholeheartedly with the message—and that it was a unique way of thinking about physical activity and exercise.
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I think it feels different because most of us have been taught to measure movement by the maximum.
How far did you walk?
How much weight did you lift?
How many minutes did you exercise?
Did you complete the entire workout?
We don’t often talk about the minimum—the amount of movement that helps us feel better, supports our health or allows us to stay connected to something that matters.
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Recently, on a whim, I took one of my sons to explore a park that had been closed for several years. It didn’t matter how far or how quickly we walked. We enjoyed being outside, exploring the park and spending time together.

Another day, a quick game of catch with my boys turned into a football game—and the realization that I still need to teach them the rules of Canadian football!
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Neither was a structured workout. I wasn’t tracking my distance, counting repetitions or trying to reach a particular intensity.
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But I moved. My body felt good. And, perhaps most importantly, the movement added something meaningful to my life.
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That was enough.
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I see the struggle to accept “enough” with my clients all the time. Someone will tell me rather sheepishly that they didn’t complete their entire exercise routine or that they had to do less than they planned.
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They see what they didn’t do.
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I see the movement they were able to do—and the information they gathered along the way.
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Doing less does not automatically mean that the movement wasn’t beneficial. For someone living with persistent pain, a smaller amount of movement that doesn’t lead to a significant increase in symptoms can be meaningful progress.
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Changing the plan doesn’t mean you did something wrong. It means you are learning what might be right for you now.
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Of course, listening to your body isn’t always straightforward.
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Sometimes your body is genuinely asking you to turn the intensity down, choose something different or rest. At other times, fear may be telling you a story about what could happen if you try.
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That distinction can be difficult to make—especially if previous attempts at being active have left you sore, exhausted or discouraged.
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When you aren’t sure, you might begin by asking:
What is the evidence, and what is the story?
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Evidence is something you know to be true. What has actually happened before? What patterns have you noticed? What has helped? What has made things worse?
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The story is what your mind may be predicting: This will hurt. I won’t be able to do it. If I can’t complete the whole thing, there’s no point in starting.
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Sometimes, the only way to gather new evidence is to try something for as little as two minutes and notice what happens.
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Your body may also communicate through much quieter signals: a headache, tension across your shoulders, tightness in your abdomen or a dull ache in your ankle. These sensations aren’t necessarily instructions to stop.
They are information.
Learning to recognize that information takes time. It may also require a few moments of stillness before you can notice what you are feeling.
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The goal isn’t to analyze every tiny sensation. It is to become curious about the patterns that emerge—and to use that information to make a thoughtful decision about what you need today.
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This is one reason I created my AI Questions Guide, Better Movement Starts With Better Questions. The questions are designed to help you look beneath the surface of your physical activity behaviour and explore some of the beliefs, fears and past experiences that may be influencing it.
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AI cannot tell you what your body needs. But it can help you slow down, ask a different question and uncover something you may not have recognized on your own.
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Because becoming more physically active isn’t always as simple as “just take a walk.”
It is about learning what helps you move safely and confidently. It is about finding enough meaningful movement to support your health, your independence and the life you want to live.
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What is your body telling you—and what story might be making that message harder to hear?
Comment below and let me know.
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Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa
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P.S. If you would like some help exploring what may be happening beneath the surface, you can download my complimentary AI Questions Guide here.
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