10 ways to move your body when you’re running on empty

It’s 8:00 PM, your laptop is finally closed, you’ve had dinner, the never-ending mental checklist of running a business has stopped for a minute, and you’re staring at your trainers with a mixture of guilt and absolute defiance.

The wellness industry tells you that if you aren’t moving, it’s a lack of discipline. ‘What’s your excuse?’ the fitness memes ask.

But what that industry fails to understand is that sometimes your energy isn’t just low; it’s already been spent surviving. When you’re holding up a household, building a business or career, and navigating the constant, invisible tax of racism in daily life, you aren’t just ‘tired.’ You’re exhausted.

When your mind and body are already carrying that much weight, forcing yourself through a gruelling workout isn’t healthy. It’s simply adding more stress to a nervous system that is already flooded. If we want to stay whole, we have to unlearn the toxic “no excuses” grind culture and radically change what physical care looks like.

Here are ten guilt-free ways to move your body with a rhythm that suits you.

1. Ditch the outfit change

The friction of changing into proper workout gear, finding the right sports bra, and lacing up trainers can consume what little mental energy you have left. If you only have five minutes, do a slow overhead stretch or a few gentle lunges right where you are. You do not need a special uniform to care for your body. Movement in a jumper and socks still counts.

2. Practice moving in small doses

Unlearn the myth that a workout requires an uninterrupted 45-to-60-minute block of time. When you are running a business or caring for family, that time often does not exist. Instead, “micro-dose”: do a slow neck roll and three deep chest stretches while waiting for the kettle to boil, or spend four minutes doing gentle joint mobility between meetings. Short bursts of movement add up and are much easier on a tired brain.

3. Replace exercise with Somatic Release

When you’re constantly dealing with workplace microaggressions or heavy life responsibilities, your body physically holds on to that tension. It settles into tight hips, clenched jaws, and stiff shoulders. Shift your goal from burning calories to releasing that trapped stress. Gently shaking your arms and legs out for two minutes (a practice often called “shaking medicine”) sends a physical signal to your brain that it is safe to relax.

4. Create a three-tier “energy menu”

Stop relying on a rigid schedule that doesn’t care how tired you are. Instead, look at your day and pick a type of movement based on your current battery percentage:

• Tier 1 (5% Battery): Gentle floor stretches on the rug or right in bed.
• Tier 2 (50% Battery): A 15-minute walk to get some fresh air and clear your head.
• Tier 3 (80% Battery): A focused strength session or something that makes you sweat, because you genuinely have the fuel for it.

5. Do a “3-Breath check-in” before you start

Before forcing yourself into a routine, sit on the edge of your bed or a chair, close your eyes, and take three deep breaths. Ask your body: “What do I actually need right now?” If the answer is a slow walk, do that. If the answer is a nap, honour that. Fatigue is valuable information from your body, not a mental block you need to smash through.

6. Make your living room your sanctuary

Traditional gym environments can sometimes feel like another arena where women of colour have to perform, face scrutiny, or keep their guard up. If a public fitness space feels exhausting, don’t go. Your living room, a quiet corner of a park, or your garden can be your private sanctuary. Protect your peace by moving where you feel safe.

7. Move in low light

If your eyes and brain are completely fried from staring at screens and making decisions all day, try moving in the dim light. Roll out a mat in a dark room, turn off the harsh overhead lights, and just stretch or move by candlelight or the soft glow of a lamp. Removing visual stimulation lets your mind rest while your joints get moving.

8. You don’t have to pump up the volume

You don’t need thumping, high-tempo music to move. If your brain is buzzing with anxiety, try walking or stretching in absolute silence. If you need comfort, put on a favourite podcast, nostalgic music, or ambient nature sounds. Let the audio pull you out of your daily stress, rather than pumping you up into a higher state of panic.

9. Focus on ‘rooting’ rather than ‘shrinking’

A lot of mainstream fitness culture focuses heavily on shrinking the body, burning fat, and changing how you look. Let’s flip the script. When the world feels unstable and unpredictable, use movement, especially basic strength or resistance exercises, to feel solid and unshakeable. Move to build physical presence and boundaries, not to disappear.

10. Treat movement as self-preservation

Writer and activist Audre Lorde famously said: ‘Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.’ When everyday life demands every single piece of you, taking ten minutes to tend to your own breathing and muscles is a quiet act of rebellion. It’s a reminder that your body ultimately belongs to you, not to your business, your job, or your endless obligations.

To be clear

You don’t need to earn your rest or punish yourself to stay healthy. On the days when the world has already exhausted you, the most radical thing you can do is give your body exactly what it’s asking , for even if that is just five minutes of breathing on the kitchen floor.