This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing! As always, before I write about fitness I want to make it clear that health and fitness are amorphous concepts, are not an obligation, barometer of worthiness, or entirely within our control. In general, all of my work around fitness is done on the foundational principle that nobody is obligated to participate, participating doesn’t make someone better than those who don’t participate, and every body who wants to participate should be welcomed, fully accommodated, and given information that is scientifically accurate and not based in stigma/oppression/marginalization including weight stigma.
Thanks for this. I LOVE it! At 61, I have found a fantastic movement class that incorporates yoga and tai chi. One of the things I really love is that the instructor talks about what happens inside our bodies (e.g. notice how your spine gets longer or how does your hip feel during this movement?) It really helps me be in my body and noticing how it is moving. It makes me appreciate its ability to move and the amazing muscles, bones, and fascia that allow me to do so. I can remember so many courses with "fitness" instructors talking about how exercises were for thin thighs when I knew I was never going to have thin thighs in this body. Screw that! Exercise is for feeling into your body and enjoying what it can do.
Hi Ragen, thanks so much for this. I've just moved to a new state and wanting to find a strength trainer in this area, but feeling held back by my fear of working with people who aren't solidly fat affirmative. In India, this feels like a rare human to find, let alone personal trainer. I'm wondering if you have any advice for what kind of questions to ask to discern whether a trainer might feel safe to work with? What could I look out for if they aren't explicitly using anti-diet and fat affirmative language? What could I look out for even if they're using this language (who knows if they practice what they preach)? If you've already written about this, I'd appreciate if you'd direct me to that. I've recently subscribed to your work and its a treasure trove of information!
Thanks for this. I LOVE it! At 61, I have found a fantastic movement class that incorporates yoga and tai chi. One of the things I really love is that the instructor talks about what happens inside our bodies (e.g. notice how your spine gets longer or how does your hip feel during this movement?) It really helps me be in my body and noticing how it is moving. It makes me appreciate its ability to move and the amazing muscles, bones, and fascia that allow me to do so. I can remember so many courses with "fitness" instructors talking about how exercises were for thin thighs when I knew I was never going to have thin thighs in this body. Screw that! Exercise is for feeling into your body and enjoying what it can do.
Hi Ragen, thanks so much for this. I've just moved to a new state and wanting to find a strength trainer in this area, but feeling held back by my fear of working with people who aren't solidly fat affirmative. In India, this feels like a rare human to find, let alone personal trainer. I'm wondering if you have any advice for what kind of questions to ask to discern whether a trainer might feel safe to work with? What could I look out for if they aren't explicitly using anti-diet and fat affirmative language? What could I look out for even if they're using this language (who knows if they practice what they preach)? If you've already written about this, I'd appreciate if you'd direct me to that. I've recently subscribed to your work and its a treasure trove of information!