Going to the gym

A fat Māori woman with lipoedema is sitting on a leg curl and extension machine in an empty gym. She is taking a selfie in a mirror.

Exercising in a gym means I’m less likely to put off my workout if it’s cold or raining.

Gyms can be intimidating places – especially if you’re a fat person. I’m sure we’ve all seen the fatphobic advertising that some gyms use, know of people taking photos of other gym goers to make fun of them, or heard about trainers who shout at you until you cry, throw up or both. All of these things are vile, so it’s not surprising that a lot of people are really hesitant to go to the gym!

Despite all of these things I’ve found some really awesome gyms over the years, it’s just been a matter of finding the right one. Recently I’ve had a few people asking how to get started, so I thought I’d write a longform post for the gym-curious. View Post

Why do you exercise?

Why do you exercise? Image via Hello Tillie

Image via Hello Tillie

There are a couple of misconceptions that really irk me when it comes to exercise – the first is that fat people don’t exercise and the other is that people only go to the gym to lose weight. *sigh* It’s one of those “where do I even start?” situations. View Post

Club Physical’s Body Shaming Ads

Club Physical Body Shaming Ad

This is what you see when you visit Club Physical’s Facebook page at the moment. A message that tells you “you belong” while simultaneously body shaming. It’s not the first time Club Physical has employed body shaming in an attempt to get customers to join their gyms – I live near one and bear witness to their awful roadside advertising. In fact, it’s not even the first time that they’ve run an ad using this idea – their own website said it was their “second most offensive ad, as measured by complaints to the Advertising standards Authority. But it worked.” They’re proud of this behaviour. View Post

Derby Girl: Glamerzon

Miss Glamour LaRue / Glamerzon Plus Size Derby Girl

As well as talking about style and body love, I really want to celebrate awesome things that fat babes do. Just because you’re plus size it doesn’t mean that you can’t be talented, successful, intelligent, athletic … or just plain kickass.

Meet Hannah Gough aka Miss Glamour LaRue. Model, early childhood educator, Miss Pinup New Zealand 2015 finalist and Miss Publicity winner, derby girl and fat babe. In the world of roller derby, she skates for Northland Nightmares Hells Wives and is known as Glamerzon. She laced up her skates and answered a few questions for me. View Post

Who enjoys exercise?

Oh man, what have I done? I’ve become one of those people who actually enjoys exercise! Don’t get me wrong, dragging myself out of bed before 6am so that I can pull on my walking shoes is not my idea of fun at all, but as part of my knee rehab I have to walk to build up strength, so it’s gotta be done. Not to mention those endorphins, holy moly – that makes getting up early so worth it!

Meagan Kerr Plus Size Workout Wear FitForever Nikki Leggings Autograph Basic Tank EziBuy Sara Zip Jacket View Post

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