I’ve been away for a bit recovering from Covid. As someone who is immunocompromised these have been scary times managing symptoms as this virus moves through my body. I also needed space to process my anger. After spending much of my days in isolation I ultimately contracted Covid in my home from a loved one. However, I understand how hard it is when mitigations are left up to us as individuals.   Thankfully I am in a place where I am starting to feel better and am able to engage in intentional movement again. So I wanted to share some tips for folks to ease back into working out after be ..read more

When I talk about fitness I am specifically speaking about the way it is used as a tool of body regulation and conformity as fitness explicitly functions as a hinge between lifestyle and health. Through the lens of fitness there is a particular emphasis on body shape and size. The more adjacent a person is to thinness the more they are assumed to be of “good health” and "fit". Which in turn allows for them to be viewed as a successful, responsible and productive member of society. Whereas the larger a person’s body is (no matter the reason) they are often viewed as lazy, irresponsible, lacking ..read more

How many times have we heard: "You Can't Be a Trainer...You Don't Even Look Like You Work Out." What does that even mean? What we're literally saying here is that because someone doesn't embody the typical "Fitness Standards of Beauty" which also conveniently align with normative "European Ideals of Beauty" that they are automatically removed from been viewed as a valid personal trainer. Some will argue: "Well they aren't putting into practice what they expect of their clients." Well how do you know that everyone sets out to be thin and toned. Cause the only bodies we don't highly scrutinize a ..read more

Let me start by saying that I am a non binary trans masculine person living in the rural south. My safety is often hinged on how well I visibly align with gender normative standards (so in my case the more I present like a cisgender heterosexual man) the “better” it is for me. Here’s the thing though. I don’t identify as a man nor do I want to be assumed as such. In fact every opportunity I have to disrupt the gender binary I seize it, but again this also depends on my level of safety at any given moment. So when I’m in a place to disclose, unpack or showcase my nonconformity I will. For me t ..read more

I grew up reading Men's Health Magazine. I remember scouring the pages of that magazine on my lunch breaks while working at a grocery store. I was so excited when finally able purchase the magazine once my employee discount kicked in. I also recall turning page after page and seeing nothing but toned, tall, white cis male physiques. I felt both admiration for their bodies and deep hurt that I would never look like that. I would often wonder what was wrong with my body that I wanted to change it to look like them? I used to follow the workouts and fold the pages down of articles so I could ..read more

During the Jim Crow era, Black people weren’t allowed access to “health clubs”. Much like country clubs and golf courses during the years after desegregation, many ‘health clubs’ implemented discriminatory rules and policies to exclude Black patrons. Dr. Antonio Williams, Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair, Indiana University School of Public Health "The fitness industry and all industries are impacted by systemic racism because all industries are managed and run by people. People come to the spaces they fill with thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that represent what they have l ..read more

Decolonizing Fitness is owned and operated by a Black trans person and I am deeply committed to to not only shining light on the disparities that trans/gender expansive folks face but also finding ways to support our most vulnerable communities.   Therefore, I want to take a moment to share that November is Trans Awareness month in hopes you can connect to some important events happening now and in the near future.  Transgender Awareness Week is each year from Nov 13-19 and followed by Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov 20. During this week people and orgs get together ..read more

I’ve been thinking a lot about what Inclusive fitness means in practice as a collection of values that we can begin circulating widely in our industries. I firmly believe it is our collective right to feel at home and safe in our bodies and for fitness and wellness institutions to support and create the conditions to uphold this right. What is Inclusive Fitness It’s important for me to name that the Inclusive fitness was birthed from Black trans, queer and radical fat organizers and seeks to carve space for those who have historically been negated in mainstream fitness and movement spaces. In ..read more

It warms my heart to share that I’ve personally noticed (primarily through the inclusive fitness movement) an overall acknowledgment and practice of fat acceptance happening in the fitness industry. We are having more of the necessary conversations about anti-fat bias and how it causes great harm to people both on an individual and institutional level. This push to be more size affirming is directly helping to re-shape the ways we provide support to people in larger bodies and I am 100% here for it. While its awesome that folks are committed to divesting from weight stigma in fitness, mov ..read more

This article was originally posted on That Fancy Life Blog  CW: mentions of weight gain, intentional weight loss, dieting   The medical community has a deep dark history regarding the pain of Black women. Black women are seen as superhuman. The reason we are given this moniker is because no one seems to believe us when we say we are in pain. I have learned this the hard way. Today I cried. I cried happy tears. I cried tears of anger. I cried tears of joy. And I cried tears of sadness. I was a whole crying mess. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of vindication and I was so excited abou ..read more