Embodied: Physical activity as ends and means

Cultivating opportunities for embodied experience is at the heart of occupational therapy philosophy and practice. Meaningful experiences allow us, as human beings, to feel embodied through witnessing the effect and significance of our interactions with the world and others. Although clinicians readily recognize the value of addressing occupations associated with some primary social roles, such as parent, worker, or performer, it is easy to overlook the value of addressing occupations that are supportive of the relationship with the self. By facilitating physical activities in treatment that allow for experiences of pleasurable embodiment, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) can support bottom-up learning that enhances the mind-body connection and self-efficacy. Bottom-up approaches include experiential components that can provide the opportunity for intrinsic reinforcement (e.g., building positive associations from an experience of stretching). Conversely, when OTPs can provide a top-down understanding of physical activity as an opportunity for self-expression and embodiment, clients’ perception of exercise may be transformed from that of a chore to a choice. Top-down approaches focus on the metacognitive aspects of habit change (e.g., learning conceptually how exercise can be expressive of identity).