Episode 107Aug 5, 2026· 6:12

Your Brain on Movement: Why It's Not Just About Your Body

▸ Show notes from the creator

What if a real benefit of movement has nothing to do with your body? Fit-ology founder Jessica Covington joins More Movement Please to explain why movement is actually brain care, boosting focus, mood, and motivation in ways that have nothing to do with changing how you look. Listen as Jessica breaks down the connection between movement and the brain's dopamine and motivation networks, and why even one minute of moving can shift your mental state before a hard task. She shares her method for pairing movement with affirmations, why consistency matters more than intensity, and how showing up for small movement wins builds real self-trust over time. If you've ever skipped a workout because you didn't have time for "real" exercise, this episode will change how you think about movement completely. Follow Jessica online: http://www.fit-ology.com/ https://linktr.ee/adhdalchemy1 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacovington/ https://www.facebook.com/fitologyADHDcoach https://www.instagram.com/fitology_adhd/ https://medium.com/@fitology This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet or exercise program. Join the FREE accountability group: https://famousashleygrant.com/group/ --------------------------------------- This podcast is supported by affiliate partnerships. Please check out a few of our partners below: – Start a podcast today here: https://rss.com/?via=moremovementplease – Create content from your own voice with Castmagic's Suite of AI Tools: https://get.castmagic.io/dcjy15cirnts – Want to help support our show? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/famousashleygrant – Need content for your podcast or blog? Check out Tools for Motivation: https://toolsformotivation.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=962&url=1914 The links above are affiliate links. This means my podcast will receive a small commission if you order through any of them at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions are one of the ways my podcast makes money so that I can create episodes free of charge. If you do purchase anything from my links, I sincerely would like to thank you for your support!

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About this episode

What if a real benefit of movement has nothing to do with your body? Fit-ology founder Jessica Covington joins More Movement Please to explain why movement is actually brain care, boosting focus, mood, and motivation in ways that have nothing to do with changing how you look. Listen as Jessica breaks down the connection between movement and the brain's dopamine and motivation networks, and why even one minute of…

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Full transcript

00:05

What's up, my movers and shakers? Famous Ashley

00:07

Grant here. Welcome to More Movement, Please,

00:08

the podcast where I hope to inspire you to move

00:10

your body more. So I am still... on a little

00:13

bit of a hiatus because I'm trying to build up

00:15

the Patreon and like I had mentioned in a previous

00:18

episode I am letting other people take over the

00:20

show for just a little bit while I work on those

00:22

assets. So today's voice note comes to us from

00:24

Jessica Covington. She is the founder of Fitology

00:27

and she says that she is happiest when she's

00:29

in the dance studio on the beach or deep in the

00:32

woods and she also talks a lot about ADHD and

00:36

so that's why I was so excited to have her voice

00:38

note come in and here's what she had to say.

00:43

The thing I want people to know about movement

00:45

is that it's not just exercise. It's not just

00:48

for our bodies. It's actually brain care. So

00:52

often we think about movement as something we

00:54

do to change our bodies, and we forget that one

00:57

of its biggest benefits is what it does for our

00:59

brains. Even if it's just a few minutes, movement

01:03

improves attention, mood, creativity, mental

01:07

energy, and more. And it doesn't have to be a

01:10

workout. to get that benefit. It doesn't have

01:12

to be in the gym. One minute counts. Five minutes

01:16

count. A walk around the block, a dance off with

01:19

your kids, taking the stairs, stretching or doing

01:23

air squats between meetings. All of it matters

01:26

and builds up to a great big benefit. And it

01:29

doesn't have to be perfect either. If you can't

01:31

get around to moving more daily, that would be

01:34

ideal. I would love that for everybody. But if

01:37

it can't be daily, at least come back to it.

01:39

Be persistent enough to come back when you fall

01:42

out of the habit. And movement is great for every

01:47

single brain that exists in the world. I happen

01:50

to work with women who have ADHD, like I do.

01:54

So for us, it's especially important. But for

01:57

anybody, movement is a powerful regulation tool.

02:02

Physical activity helps us regulate attention

02:04

and arousal. It's not just about burning energy.

02:08

We all need to think more clearly. We all want

02:12

to jump in and initiate tasks more easily and

02:16

feel more emotionally regulated. And all of that

02:20

can happen after we move our bodies. So it's

02:23

less about getting tired. and more about getting

02:26

the brain into a state where it can function

02:29

at its best, where it can function really well.

02:33

A lot of us make the mistake of thinking, well,

02:35

if I work out, I'm going to be exhausted, and

02:37

it's going to make me physically tired. But ironically,

02:40

what we find is that it actually gives us energy.

02:44

You can try some movement before challenging

02:47

tasks. Like if you have a difficult meeting or

02:51

paperwork that you don't really want to do, maybe

02:53

you have to focus on something you're writing,

02:55

or there's a conversation you've been avoiding.

02:58

Just try moving your body first. And this works

03:02

because the networks in the brain that govern

03:05

both physical movement and motivation, dopamine,

03:10

let's say, They're connected. They're physically

03:13

connected inside the brain. So you can think

03:15

of movement as really preparing your brain for

03:18

something difficult. I teach a method that is

03:22

called Intensati that combines movement with

03:25

spoken affirmations. So instead of exercising,

03:30

looking in the mirror and criticizing yourself

03:32

the whole time, you're literally practicing empowering

03:35

thoughts while your body is moving, which makes

03:39

those thoughts. even more powerful. It helps

03:42

them really sink in and you begin to embody these

03:46

things that we repeat. Affirmations like, I'm

03:50

powerful beyond measure, I'm stronger than I

03:52

seem, I'm braver than I think, and so on. That

03:56

combination matters because movement activates

03:58

the body, speaking engages the language centers

04:02

and breathing, and repeating intentional statements

04:05

really focuses our attention. Doing all three

04:09

together, plus listening to the music, plus listening

04:12

to cues, plus understanding where your body is

04:15

in space, and so much more. It creates a whole

04:18

person experience that often is easier to remember

04:21

and carry into everyday life than just positive

04:25

thinking alone. So the goal here isn't fitness

04:28

necessarily, it's self -trust. Every time you

04:31

keep your promise to move, even if it's just

04:35

for a minute or two minutes. You collect evidence

04:38

that your brain can remember. It's evidence that

04:42

you can follow through. And that counts because

04:45

your brain is always looking for evidence of

04:48

what you can do or what you can't do. And when

04:51

you are persistent enough to come back to that

04:53

movement habit day after day, it shows your brain

04:56

that, in fact, you are somebody who can follow

04:59

through and stick to something. And those small

05:01

wins really build confidence that extends far

05:05

beyond exercise. So don't underestimate what

05:09

a few intentional minutes of movement can do.

05:12

You're not just strengthening muscles, you're

05:14

strengthening your brain and your mood and your

05:17

confidence. And sometimes the best workout isn't

05:20

even necessarily the hardest one. It's just the

05:22

one you actually do. Thanks for tuning in to

05:29

More Movement, Please. I hope the messages from

05:31

today's episode inspired you. If you'd like more

05:33

content, check out our Patreon. And if you'd

05:35

like to be on the show, head over to famousashleygrant

05:37

.com backslash fitness. Onwards and upwards,

05:39

my friends. Have you worked out today?