Wednesday, February 15, 2017

"Big fit girl" by Louise Green

Synopsis:

In this kick-ass call to arms, Louise Green describes how the fitness industry fails to meet the needs of plus-size women and thus prevents them from improving their health. By sharing her own story of how she stopped dieting, got off the couch, and got fit, Green inspires other plus-size women to do the same. She provides concrete advice about how to get started, how to establish a support team, how to choose an activity, how to set goals, what kind of clothing and gear work best for the plus-size athlete, and how to improve one’s relationship with food.
She also showcases similar stories from other women.


Review:
...health and fitness do not always include weight loss; you can kick ass in the body you have today.
I'll be blunt: I loved this book!  As a plus-size woman, I've been struggling with finding my place when it comes to exercise and physical activity.  I was reading this book when I discovered the beautiful invention that MEC calls a combo scarf.  This has revolutionized my ability to be outside in the winter.  As a result of this combination of events, I got so much out of this book.  It inspired me to rethink the boring, mundane physical activity I've been forcing myself to do in an unwelcoming environment.
[Dr. Brenda Major] confirms what I've noted from teaching fitness to plus-size women: the fear of judgment is real and often warranted. [...] Major's findings explain a lot about why many people find fitness unapproachable.  When we feel judged by others, our fear and anxiety grows. For this reason, many of us find fitness endeavors intimidating and out of reach.
There is so much awesome information in this book!  I did a lot of highlighting of powerful and impactful parts.  I'm taking her advice about recording my fitness progress, creating a personal workout playlist, and finding fitness friends.  One of the best parts is the stretching routine (Appendix B) because I often suffer from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) from not stretching properly after a workout.  Green's comprehensive routine includes photographs, instructions, and tips on stretches that target various muscles.
To weather the peaks, valleys, and plateaus of your athletic journey, you must base your success on more than just the numbers on the scale.  You are in this for the long-term, and exercise has many benefits that have nothing to do with what you weigh.
This is totally an empowering book that I would highly recommend!  Even though I'm already on my "athletic journey", this book helped me change my physical fitness viewpoint from in-the-now to thinking about what I want to be capable of as I age.
Exercise allows you to say yes; you will have the confidence and strength to show up and live your athletic dreams in the body you have now.  It really can be a limitless life. 
I look forward to delving into more of Louise Green's work.  Her TEDx talk is so powerful and so very much worth watching.  I believe in her any-body activism and unleashing your inner athlete!  And she's a fellow Canadian and redhead!

I recommend "Big fit girl" and Hanne Blank's "The unapologetic fat girl's guide to exercise and other incendiary acts" as a one-two punch for plus-size fitness.

I am so very grateful that I got to read this book!

Read on,
Paula

P.S. I received this book for free from the publisher for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

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