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What is body positive fitness?

7/25/2020

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I talk a bunch on here and my​ social media about body positive fitness. Body posi fitness has become a bit of a buzzword, and it's super cool to hear folks talking about it, yet this also means that body posi fitness starts to mean a lot of different things. I wanted to clarify a bit about what body positive fitness means to me.

  • First and probably most importantly, bopo fitness is weight neutral. Weight loss is not the goal. Some people may wonder if weight loss isn't the goal of a workout, then what is the point? To this I say... well before I say anything, how sad! What a frickin bummer that a person can't think of a reason to workout that isn't oriented to weight loss. Seriously. There are SO many benefits to working out that have N O T H I N G to do with what your body looks like. This leads to the next point of body positive fitness. 
  • Bopo fitness is aimed at helping you feel strong in your body, and maximize your health. There are many benefits to working out: cardiovascular benefits (things like increased lung capacity and increased cardiac stroke volume), improvements to bone density (decreasing your risk for osteoporosis), and a multitude of overall health benefits. Don't neglect the mental and emotional benefits to working out. Personally, I love feeling strong and capable in my body. I love having the kind of general fitness that enables me to go do the things I find fun and enjoyable without struggling or being in a lot of pain. If you have health conditions, it may be that no amount of fitness completely eliminates things like pain or fatigue, but consistent workouts can help to reduce some symptoms. 
  • One of my favorite things about body positive fitness is that you will find less pressure than in other more traditional fitness. I encourage people in my classes to find the modification that feels challenging yet workable for their body today. There is no need to keep up with anyone else in the class. Sometimes, a thing that felt good and strong for me on Tuesday feels like crap on Friday. I encourage modifications with NO shame. You're here, you showed up, and you're moving! It's not a contest, be proud of what you are doing.
  • In body positive fitness, we are welcoming and inclusive to all people, especially people who may not feel welcomed in traditional fitness environments. This might mean body types not seen in traditional fitness, maybe people who are LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, or people with health concerns. Fitness should be accessible to everyone. It shouldn't be some elite space only for white cis-het young lean people. Yet if you do a google image search for "fit woman", this is largely what you will find. As an instructor, I endeavor to offer as many variations as I can to make my classes accessible to all. If you have specific concerns, please reach out to me. I would be delighted to discuss, gather some information from you and help you figure out how to make my classes work for you.

​I'm so happy to see more people talking about body positive fitness, and I hope that people catch on to the idea that working out doesn't have to be tied to weight goals. What are some benefits you have experienced from working out that are unrelated to weight or size?
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    Jess Brock-Pitts

    Mom in charge at Enlighten Well LLC. Body positivity. Fitness. Crunchy hippy stuff. Running. 

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