Fear + The Problem With Fitness

Yes, we know we need to move it or lose it. Yes, we know our modern sedentary lifestyles aren’t doing us any favours. Yes, we’re bombarded with alarming statistics about the health implications of sitting for long periods of time... etc, etc.

But what are we actually doing about it?

I ask this not to guilt you; I get that life is busy + that we’re masters at putting both ourselves + our bodies second. However, as someone who works with bodies, who sees the patterns of daily life revealed in the way others move, I implore you to consider your own health + wellbeing for a moment.

A movement program (I use this term over ‘fitness’, which seems to have taken a rather dark + toxic turn via Insta fitspo culture) that explores + challenges the way we move, that celebrates what we can do + then provides the opportunity to improve the way we do it, is key to our physical wellbeing. I should include ‘mental wellbeing’ in this as well, as the inextricable link between the two is long established + often cited in...pretty much every health article you read these days.

So, if we know all this, why is it hard to find the time + commitment to doing something about it?

No doubt there are studies + statistics about this; it’s true, I’ve read a bunch of them. However, I personally feel that the big reason people find it difficult to commit to their own health is the F word - FEAR. Fear of being judged by others, fear of the unknown, fear of their own bodies, even.

There’s this gem of a quote circulating the internet about how ‘most people don’t know how good their bodies are designed to feel.’ True that. Please please please do NOT fear your body! Your body is AMAZING! It is remarkably strong + adaptable. But it is designed to MOVE! Not to hunch forward over a computer all day long, but to move - often + in diverse directions. So move it you must!

I have been absolutely blown away by my students; their openness in trying new things, exploring new ways to move. Better still, I’m fortunate enough to have witnessed the positive changes movement has had in their lives. Some live far away, some are shift workers + some have very stressful jobs, but each week they make the effort to come to class, to take time out for themselves on the mat... because they know that by taking care of themselves, everything else in their life improves; their relationships (both with their own bodies + with other people) their energy levels, their mood, their mental + physical health.

I’m truly thankful for opportunity to guide you in moving well + feeling more confident in your own skin 🙌

T H A N K Y O U xx

+ here’s a big ‘F-you!’ to FEAR! 👊👊👊