6 Women And Brands That Are Making Fitness More Size-Inclusive
“I hope more women feel inspired to embrace fitness without being overwhelmed by shame.”
There's no denying that a lot of work needs to be done to make fitness a happier, more fulfilling relationship for women everywhere, of any size.
For so many women, diet culture has morphed movement from a joyful activity to an unsatisfying means to an end. Not only can this rob exercise of fun, but it also continues to make women (myself, included) feel pulled to move for the sake of shrinking ourselves.
Luckily, there's a growing movement of incredible women and initiatives leading the charge towards change. Through their own journeys of rejecting diet culture's influence over fitness and embracing their bodies, they've nurtured a healthier relationship with movement that's inclusive of all shapes and (finally) filled with fun.
“I hope more women feel inspired to embrace fitness without being overwhelmed by shame," says plus-size athlete and advocate Meg Boggs. "That’s probably the number one goal I hope to achieve every day.” After all, accepting our bodies as they are gives us permission to engage in whatever movement we truly love.
Whether you're ready to fill your feed with more inclusive, body-neutral fitfluencers or find workouts that are truly joyful and free from diet-focused vibes, these women and initiatives are working to make fitness more accessible to those who haven't traditionally been represented in the fitness world. They're reclaiming the satisfaction and freedom of movement, sharing their own mental, physical, and emotional gains—and inspiring countless other individuals to do the same.
Download: Joyn
Joyn is a body-neutral movement app that creates a supportive environment for individuals looking for freeing, punishment-free movement. In addition to featuring a diverse crew of trainers who provide representation for all sorts of body types, the platform is also completely free of any diet or weight-loss talk. With plenty of on-demand workout options for just $9.99 a month, you have the opportunity to make fitness about you again.
Their message: You belong here. (And I have to tell you, it is so refreshing.)
Joyn aims to help you find what movement you truly need and will enjoy today. Ask yourself a few questions as you browse their many workouts: How much energy do I have right now? What teacher feels exciting for me to move with today? Would moving from a chair feel more supportive? Would feel better to slow down and meditate today?
With cardio, HIIT, yoga, dance, stretching, strengthening, Pilates, meditation, and Tai Chi options, everybody can truly find their unique way to move.
Follow: Meg Boggs
Meg Boggs is an athlete, fitness influencer, and blogger devoted to inclusive fitness, self-love, and motherhood. After the birth of her daughter, she promised herself (and her daughter) that she would heal her relationship with movement. “I made the decision to start choosing forms of movement that felt either empowering or exciting for me," she tells WH. "When I was eight weeks postpartum, I showed up to a powerlifting session and found out that I absolutely loved picking up heavy things.” Now, she sees movement as a way to connect with herself rather than change her body. “I no longer put myself through workouts or exercises that make me feel like it’s some form of punishment for what I ate that day,” she says. Instead, Boggs celebrates any form of movement that fits into her day.
Boggs uses her social media platform to share workouts that build strength and content that inspires self-love and acceptance. “I’m determined to show the endless possibilities to gain confidence, gain happiness, gain strength, gain flexibility, gain a real shot at experiencing life," she says. "It’s one of the most empowering feelings when we let go of any stigmatization and embrace our endless capabilities through fitness and movement.” Next, she's channeling these messages into her upcoming book, Fitness For Every Body.
Ultimately, she wants to create a world in which everyone feels comfortable moving their body. (And her photos are so badass that I now regularly stalk her photographer, too.)
Boggs' tips for joyful movement: First, whenever she experiences any sort of self-doubt, she says to herself, “I am safe in my skin because I am home. I think of my body as my home. My safety. And I refuse to burn it to the ground for the satisfaction of others.”
And if you want to shift the focus of your workouts to connection with your body, get started at home with platforms like Joyn, Underbelly Yoga, and Spark.
Follow: Jessica Rihal
Jessica Rihal is a yoga and meditation teacher, Joyn instructor, and Superfit Hero model. After a long-strained relationship with exercise, she found joyful movement as an adult.
When Jessica was just 7 years old, her ballet instructor took her aside after class to discuss losing weight. “That was the first time I learned that not only was I bigger than everyone, but that it was a problem,” Rihal tells WH. “That was the beginning point of me being like 'Oh, I should be losing weight; I should be smaller.' And from that point on, anything physical, I saw differently. I saw it as part of diet culture. Instead of fun, it was something that I had to do.”
For Rihal, it wasn't until she saw glimpses of people who looked like her in the fitness space that she felt hope. For most of her life, she had never seen anyone with a body like hers advocating for movement and for enjoying it. “Had I had these images, had I seen diversity in wellness, movement, and fitness since I was that little girl in ballet, it would have reframed my whole persona, how I saw myself, how I carried myself," she says. "I want to be that for other people."
Her Instagram captions go deep on healing your relationship to movement and its impacts on your life. “When you're trying to shrink yourself, trying to change yourself physically, you feel really bad about yourself," she explains. "And then it spills into other parts of your life. You think you're too fat to wear shorts on vacation or to even take a vacation, and that keeps you away from any other opportunities.” By showing up for yourself and doing what you want now, in the body you're in, you can take back your experience.
Rihal’s tips for joyful movement: Be okay with not being the best at whatever you're doing. Give yourself space to be a beginner! She also recommends defining what fitness and movement mean to you. After all, it's a deeply personal journey.
Shop: Superfit Hero
Superfit Hero is an exclusively plus-size activewear brand suiting up plus-sized people in clothing (sizes L to 7XL) that makes movement more accessible and exciting.
After transforming her relationship with her body and movement through roller derby, CEO and founder Micki Krimmel knew she had to do something to share the experience. “'How can I change the fitness industry from one of self-loathing and one of patriarchy to one where we can embrace our bodies and be at home in them?'” she asked herself. “I wasted so much time trying to squeeze my body into this shape that it will never fit.”
So, she teamed up with long-time Nike staffer Carrie Beth Langham (a plus-size woman herself) to transform her activewear brand to exclusively serve the plus-size community.
Today, Superfit Hero takes the stigma out of numbers and sizing by naming all of their sizes. Thanks to the brand's seven-day free trial period, you can try on the clothes from the comfort of your own home and determine whether you're an EarthFit, GalaxyFit, or StarFit. “I’m a StarFit and I wear it like a freakin’ badge," says Langham. "When I find other people that are also StarFits, we’re like this community of amazing superheroes.”
To further support their customers, Superfit Hero also has a buzzing Facebook group and a website page dedicated to helping you find body-positive exercise opps near you.
Follow: Natasha Ngindi
Natasha Ngindi is a non-diet nutritionist and Zumba instructor who inspires thousands on Instagram.
She found joyful movement after reading Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch and Health At Every Size by Linda Bacon. “Before reading these books, I always believed that health has a specific look, and that exercise doesn’t count unless it’s painful," she tells WH. "These books made me realize just how narrow my understanding of fitness was, and how deeply ingrained diet culture was in my life.”
From there, Natasha set out on a mission to find the movement that felt best for her. "I only focused on non-scale victories to keep me motivated," she says. "It was exciting to lean into my own likes and dislikes, and discover what feels best for my body, rather than depending on others to tell me what to do.”
As a result, she became a Zumba instructor. Her classes truly model how exciting and fun inclusive fitness can be.
“We all deserve the freedom to accept our bodies, engage in enjoyable movement, and eat confidently without focusing on the scale,” she shares. “I hope that when people who feel unrepresented in the fitness space see me—in a large body and enjoying movement—they think to themselves, 'Wow. If she can do it, I can do it too.'"
"You have full permission to refuse to partake in any unenjoyable movement, and it’s okay to move your body without trying to change your body.”
Ngindi’s tips for weight-neutral fitness: First, replace fitness influencers that make you feel bad about your body with people in bodies of all shapes and sizes that inspire you to accept yourself and enjoy movement. If you can, join a weight-inclusive gym or a group fitness class with a weight-neutral instructor.
Follow: Lauren Leavell
Lauren Leavell is a barre and HIIT instructor and certified personal trainer. She focuses on helping clients swap weight goals for strength and mobility goals and offers group classes filled with modifications to make exercise more accessible.
After struggling with fitness, nutrition, and self-acceptance in college, Leavell took a break from fitness and returned a few years later with new perspective. “My relationship with exercise was based entirely around my aesthetics and fitting into a more socially-acceptable body," she shares with WH. After working on her mental health, Leavell found purpose in helping others finally find happiness in movement.
Now, Leavell continues to build community and offer virtual classes online on a sliding payment scale, encouraging her students to connect and inspire each other.
Leavell's tips for weight-neutral fitness: Reach out to like-minded people on social media and create your own inclusive fitness crew. That support will make it easier to let go of body expectations and see movement as exploration and play.
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