Have you ever been in a group fitness class, get so into the workout (we’re talking music pumping, feelin’ yourself type vibe) until the instructor comments on weight or calories? Nothing gets us out of a good headspace like feeling the pressure from diet culture to change our bodies. Can we just have a fun class without the side of shame or guilt, please? 

Parts of the fitness industry are so stuck in a weight-centric approach to movement have become the status quo for many. What these comments end up doing is cultivating feelings of shame or guilt about the participant’s current body or eating habits and only further perpetuating a cycle of disordered thoughts and behaviors around food and exercise to achieve an unrealistic standard of “health” (aka - weight loss). And honestly, we’re sick of it. 

Contrary to popular belief, moving your body does not have to be solely around changing the way your body looks. There are other (much more helpful) reasons to incorporate movement into your life, including: 

• Improved sleep
• Increase flexibility
• Improved stamina
• Increasing strength
• Decreasing stress
• Improving mood

We’re diving into some amazing resources below that provide access to body positive movement and help you find joy in activity again. 

 

8 Body Positive Movement Resources: 

 

No BS Active

No BS Active (aka No Body Shaming Active - love!) is a body positive movement community started by Whitney Way Thore. With this, you have access to her community on Facebook, 5 workouts per week plus a bonus workout! They focus on strength and stamina without a side of body shaming that many other workouts come with. Try it out for only $20/month. 

Yoga for Everyone

This inclusive yoga practice was founded by Dianne Bondy who is a seasoned yoga practitioner. She has a way of making everyone who joins feel welcome. While she has a lot of free content on her Youtube page, she also offers unlimited access to her expansive library with her membership. $15/month or $147/year after a 30-day free trial. 

Curves with Moves

This body positive movement space was created by Jessie Diaz and allows you to celebrate your body through fun, upbeat dance classes. Shake out the stress of your day and learn some new moves (all levels welcome)! Try it out here for as little as $5/class.

The Fitness Marshall

Another fun body positive dance-based workout on Youtube with many different types of bodies represented in his videos. The best part is the access to a lot of free content or additional classes for as little as $5/month. Try it out here! 

Joyn

This body positive movement community offers all different styles of classes from yoga, cardio, HIIT, and gentle stretching. All bodies are celebrated and classes provide a fun, inclusive mix up in variety to add to your routine! Try it here for only $10/month.

Body Positive Fitness Finder

This search engine allows you to put in your location and type of body positive movement you are interested in and then provides you with recommendations for studios or options near you! This allows for an increase in options no matter what you’re feeling in the mood for that day or week! Try it out here. 

NourishRX Movement PATH

Shameless plug here! At NourishRX we created an inclusive library with Facebook community with movement videos following the Restore, Reconnect, Reclaim framework from our previous PATHs. These videos are safe for those in eating disorder recovery - following the Safe Exercise At Every Stage Guidelines. And for participants who want movement without all the diet culture nonsense. We focus on body connection with weekly themes to help you feel good.

Instagram

Although Instagram can be a source of toxic diet culture - it can also provide a sense of community when it comes to body positive movement resources. We have included a few names below that we love to follow to help start your journey of clearing out social media feeds of people that bring you down, instead of lifting you up. 

• Meg Boggs @meg.boggs
• Jessie Diaz (mentioned above) @curveswithmoves
• Jessamyn Stanley @mynameisjessamyn
• Roz Mays @rozthediva

In addition to these accounts, try searching these hashtags for more resources! #bopofitness, #bodypositivemovement, or #intuitivemovement.

 

With so much of the movement community entrenched in diet culture, it can be difficult to find one that not only makes you feel good physically but also mentally. Aka - hold the side of shame and guilt about your body. All bodies are good bodies and deserve respect and care no matter what. We hope some of these resources help you find more inclusive providers who help you feel good and get some fun movement in.

Think you may be struggling with your relationship to movement and food? Give us a call - we're here to support you every step of the way.