Personal trainers share how a weight-neutral approach to fitness can improve your health and help you enjoy exercising more.
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Sarah Cottrells relationship with movementand her bodyhas long been complicated.
In high school, she battled an undiagnosed eating disorder that stirred up toxic exercise practices.
a certified personal trainer and strength coach in Raleigh, North Carolina, who emphasizes body liberation
It needs to be different.
Especially because of my eating disorder history, that feels incredibly unsafe.
The duo started training together virtually once a week, then bumped up to twice-weekly sessions.
Puzanovova programs their strength-training sessions, corrects form, and offers modifications when needed.
Weight lossoften a data point used by trainers to gauge health improvementhas never been referenced.
And now, its just like, Hey, this is something Im doing.
Thats part of why Im still working with [Barb] almost two years later.
Enter: a weight-neutral, non-diet approach to fitness coaching.
I like to describe weight as something that we can keep an eye on, Puzanovova says.
a certified personal trainer and strength coach in Raleigh, North Carolina, who emphasizes body liberation
So for me, I feel like weight is irrelevant in our training.
Caloric burn isnt referenced.
What do you actually care about?
Whats important for you to enhance the quality of your life?
I think thats really what people are looking for when theyre making a weight-loss goal.
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Weight is not the only indicator of health, nor a useful one at that.
Any modalitydance,Tabata,HIIT,strength training, oryogais welcome so long as its enjoyable and sustainable.
It shouldnt be such an adversarial or punitive relationship with movement, she says.
you oughta have these 1,000 calories burned in a workout.
As a trainer, I just meet people where they are.
A weight-neutral coach takes all of those dimensions into consideration.
Im here to affirm that, Sutton adds.
I think wed have a lot less people who use exercise as a punishment.
Each of these health metrics can be assessed, trained, and improved upon in a weight-neutral fitness setting.
It pays off in the long run, too.
This new mindset often translates into a sustainable exercise practice.
Weight is such an emotionally charged topic in our society, DiLossi says.
you might do both at the same time.
Anybody with a body, this approach is for you, Sutton says.
…Its a way to care for ourselves in the here and now and in the future.
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