She also emphasizes movement as an intrinsic source of pleasure, not as a means to delayed gratifications like a cookie, better-fitting clothes, or the approval of her doctor. “I operate from a space where exercise is fun and engaging, just because it is,” she said.
If you’re worried you’d never exercise if it weren’t for long-term reasons like toned arms, know that research says otherwise: A 2017 study found that participants were more likely to be physically active on a regular basis if it was aligned with short-term goals, such as relieving stress in the moment. in another studioconducted in 2018, participants who were told to focus on the function of their bodies during an exercise class reported greater satisfaction afterward, compared to those who were encouraged to think about how it would improve their appearance.
This distinction is central to what Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, professor at Stanford University, and author of “the joy of movement”, he teaches his students. “One of the most important principles of body neutrality is to experience exercise or movement as a way to engage with the life of your body, not to change your body,” she said.
However, this does not mean that long-term goals are off the table. “Ultimately, the enjoyment of an activity is about what it means to you,” explained Dr. McGonigal. “You can enjoy strength training, even though some parts of it are uncomfortable, hard and embarrassing, because you like the idea that you’re getting stronger.”
For Justice Roe Williams, a certified personal trainer, body neutrality represents an explicit rejection of the “no pain, no gain” mentality of the mainstream fitness industry. It is also a key organizing principle of it, Fitness4AllBodies, which teaches fitness professionals how to take a more thoughtful approach with clients across all skill and gender spectrums. Her goal is to help clients “let go of the framework and assumptions that they’ve been taught about bodies that need to be fixed or bodies that need to look a certain way,” she said.
Those who struggle to escape such self-scrutiny might benefit from an environment where they can’t see their body at all. Leanne Pedante, Fitness Director at Supernatural, a virtual reality fitness app, began her career as a personal trainer working with people in recovery from eating disorders. “One of the biggest requests I heard from those clients was, ‘Where can I exercise without mirrors?’” she said. Even if body neutrality isn’t easy, she added, “it can be learned when you provide support and remove triggers.”
Critics of bodily neutrality they argue that pursuing a Zen-like sense of detachment does not do enough to bolster one’s self-image. That may be true, Ms. Pedantic said, but it can still be a valuable tool in that process. “Most of us have very black and white moralized ideas about what is wrong with our bodies,” she said. “Body neutrality is unlearning those harmful myths, so we can move toward new ways of thinking.”
