A couple of weeks ago, I tried out some new Crossfit classes in my neighborhood, intent on learning some new exercises for my clients and for myself. And I did learn some new things. But the real take-away from those classes was something entirely different. More than anything else, it was a reminder that the overwhelming majority of people working in the fitness industry have no idea how to train people who are overweight or out of shape or not already athletes in athletic bodies. In a class full of people who looked like professional underwear models, it took me a full 5 minutes to explain to an otherwise knowledgeable trainer than I could not lower my squats any further or I would fall backwards; he didn’t understand that gravity is a real contender when it comes to those of us with a bit of junk in our proverbial trunks. I’m a personal trainer, which means two things: I have a relatively strong body, and I’m not afraid to be a little mouthy. So I held my own with this guy. But it made me wonder how demoralizing that situation would have been for a woman who didn’t already know what her body could do, and wasn’t confident enough to stand up for herself.
It’s a sad and totally irrational truth that much of the fitness industry is like the diet industry: it sets people up to fail, because failure creates repeat customers. I’m interested in really breaking that mold. I believe that most people who start exercise plans and “fail” only do so because they weren’t coached into the right plan in the first place, and they weren’t given the proper motivation. My goal is to do the exact opposite: to introduce women to exercises that are appropriate to their bodies and their goals, and to encourage them to work up to their potential, understanding that potential, by design, isn’t achieved right out of the gate. True fitness incorporates the body, the mind, and the spirit, and it takes time. There are no quick fixes to fitness, no sexy pills, no “as seen on TV” packages that make it easy. It’s hard. But it’s attainable. It really is.
To get started, contact me at FlexibilityCoach@gmail.com.
Lily-Rygh
flexiblefitnesspdx 
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