What I Wish I Knew About Movement and Health When I Was a Teenager
Ash Berry and Rob Carruthers are highly regarded Pilates Practitioners in Australia. Through their explorations of alternative health practices, they've been able to create an incredible community of curious movers seeking to improve their overall health.
Teenage me thought movement was all about looking a certain way, or being athletic for my sport and dance worlds. The reality was, I wasn’t paying much attention to how my body actually felt day-to-day. If I could go back and whisper a few things into younger-me’s ear, this is what I’d say.
1. Sitting sucks (and it creeps up on you)
Here’s what they don’t tell you when you’re young and flexible: sitting for long periods is a sneaky health killer and we do it from as soon as we start school.
It doesn’t matter how good your posture is. If you’re slouched over a desk, bent over a phone, or crammed into a crappy school chair for hours on end, it changes how you move. Your body adapts to whatever you do the most, not what you do occasionally. And modern life is set up for sitting, despite the fact we evolved with movement in mind.
What is the result? Tight hips, cranky necks, dodgy backs. They’re not random. They’re the result of too much static time in chairs and not enough moving time. If teenage me had gotten up more often, stood in class, and changed my sitting situation, it would’ve made a huge difference in how I approached my work environment later in life.
The fix isn’t fancy. It’s a movement snack. Break up your sitting with a stretch, a squat, or a walk around the block. Just more movement, more often.
2. Bodyweight strength is king
Teenage me thought strength training meant lifting big weights at the gym surrounded by sweaty dudes and protein shakes. Spoiler: it doesn’t.
The real gold lies in learning how to move your own body well. Push, pull, squat, hinge, balance, rotate. That’s the good stuff. That’s what builds resilient joints, good posture, strong bones, and confidence you can feel.
The kind of strength that helps you climb mountains, carry groceries, fly up stairs, or catch yourself when you trip isn’t built on a machine. It’s built with jumping, skipping, planks, hanging, lunges, and pull-ups (or versions of them). Mat Pilates? Gold mine.
Bodyweight strength gives you ownership over your body. And you can do it anywhere, anytime.
3. Regular movement beats hard movement
Teenage me went from zero to 100. Always. No training? Cool, I’ll do a 10km run.
No exercise all week? Sure, let’s play back-to-back games of netball on Saturday or Touch Rugby on Sunday afternoon.
And then I’d wonder why I felt wrecked.
The truth? Your body craves consistency, not chaos. It thrives on regular, moderate movement done often. That doesn’t mean you never train hard. But intensity without consistency is like sprinting into a brick wall. You’ll hit a limit (or an injury) fast.
I wish I’d known that a 30-minute walk every day with my friends would’ve served me better than random bursts of super hard exercise or games. Regular, repeatable movement that’s the real magic, and that’s what you want for your long-term health.
4. Sports matter (but not for the reasons you think)
Teenage me played sports for fun, a bit of validation. Winning felt good. Being picked for a team felt even better. But what I didn’t see was the real benefit:
Learning how to work with others
Developing discipline, resilience, and effort
Getting sweaty while laughing with friends
Understanding how to move in space, respond to cues, coordinate timing and balance
Sport builds skills you don’t learn sitting at a desk. It teaches you to listen to your body, and also how to push through when needed. It’s a playground for problem-solving and adaptability.
The score didn’t really matter, in the end.
5. Movement makes you smarter
This one blew my mind later in life.
Exercise literally changes your brain. It improves focus, memory, and emotional regulation. It helps you sleep better, which makes everything else better. It increases blood flow to the brain, encourages neuroplasticity (aka the brain’s ability to grow and adapt), and reduces stress and anxiety.
Teenage me was constantly juggling school stress, social pressure, part-time jobs, and a racing inner critic. I thought movement was a break from studying. But it was actually fuel for it.
If I’d known that going for a walk or a run could help me think more clearly, I’d have done a lot more of both.
6. It’s not about perfection. It’s about the long game
The biggest thing I wish I knew?
It’s not about hitting a goal weight or nailing a handstand. It’s about building a relationship with your body that lasts. One where you listen, respond, and stay curious.
Movement isn’t just for young, fit people with matching activewear. It’s for every stage of life. And the habits you build as a teenager? They matter. They stick around. So does the mindset you build around your body.
Instead of chasing perfection, teenage me needed to play the long game:
Learn the basics of movement and strength
Do them often
Mix it up
Have fun
Rest when needed
Keep showing up
Because it’s not about moving to punish yourself, it’s about moving to feel more like yourself.
If you’re a teenager now (or have one in your life)
Start simple. Walk more. Get stronger with your own body. Try different sports, classes, or movement styles until something clicks. And know that you don’t need to “earn” rest or movement. Your body is always worth taking care of.
And if you're older (like me), it's never too late to learn. You get to rewrite the story. One good choice at a time.
Read more from Robert Carruthers and Ashleigh Berry
Robert Carruthers and Ashleigh Berry, Pilates Practitioners
With Rob's blend of sports science and Functional Neurology training and Ash's Dance and Somatic Movement Therapy training, their Pilates sessions are always multi-faceted and multi-dimensional and cover a broad range of health interests that go beyond simply stretching and strengthening our bodies.
Their combined knowledge base has facilitated many life-changing journeys for their clients and has resulted in being recognised names across the Australian Pilates scene. Their work also extends to facilitating world-class yet affordable professional development opportunities to Pilates Practitioners across Australia and online.
