sunshine169's review

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3.0

This had some very insight perspectives that I hope will help me in overcoming my fear of exercising in public because I am tired of letting fear hold me back from living my best life. There were some chapters that didn't apply to me but this just means that the book provides information for all kinds of body movements.

whichthreewords's review

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4.0

Nice. Very strong health promotion approach -- asset based, inclusive (of size, age, dis/ability) with a Health At Every Size viewpoint. She covers not only the physical aspects one might expect, but also the various internal and external mental stumbling blocks one might encounter. Lots of great checklists for assessing whether an activity or facility is right for the reader.

I particularly like her Incendiary Act #7, which is "Flail Proudly". Good advice well beyond the physical realm!

Recommended well beyond its intended audience. Anyone of any size who's contemplating being more active will find a lot of useful material here.

babyfacedoldsoul's review

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5.0

I really enjoyed this book. It wad a great combination of compassionate and also not holding back on how some people are unkind and some realistic challenges fat folks (including myself) may come across in their exercise experience. 

raysh3ll's review against another edition

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4.0

I don't really fit with the "fat girl" that this book is targetted for,  but I think this book was still beneficial for me to read. It made me more aware of a lot of barriers that large folks deal with on a regular basis, and how to help overcome them. Some barriers I truly do relate to, and some are things I don't know that I would have thought of on my own.

I liked the way the author considered her preferences but also left room for how to accomodate for preferences of other folks. 

There are things I will be able to take away from this book for myself and my own barriers and struggles. The things that didn't apply to me, I hope to be more thoughtful of to support other bodies also working on being more active. 

brinastewart's review

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3.0

I picked this up because I wanted to look into a different thought process on being healthy without the diet and fitness messages we are bombarded with everywhere. This book is one to read to help you go back to basic and appreciate just moving your body. We need to move our bodies to keep them healthy and the contents of this book conveys that by having you look at your personal thoughts and feelings when you move and build off of your experience to keep you moving.
Blank also has many resources in this book for many things that larger people experience so you can enjoy moving your body. There are guides to help you navigate finding a gym or home gym equipment that works best for you. This is a good read for anyone and everyone regardless of size because it takes the weight-loss focus out of activity and puts in the focus of enjoyment of moving and caring for your body through being active.

sapphosgirlfriend's review

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3.0

This was pretty good! It was nice to read a super fat-positive book about exercise that did not try to get fat people to lose weight, but it also didn't contain any revelations at all. It's just a book full of advice on where to start if you wanna start exercising. Since I already regularly exercise, I think I wasn't really the target audience.

sjgochenour's review

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3.0

I don't think I am exactly the target audience for this book, but I still thought it was helpful.

kimlovesstuff's review

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5.0

I love Hanne Blank, and I loved this book. For those afraid of exercise this really takes the sting out of the gym. It also rarely uses the "E" word instead encouraging you to think about it in terms of moving instead.
Perhaps not as helpful is you already have an exercise regime, but a great read nonetheless

choirqueer's review

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3.0

This book provides a lot of useful info from a strong motivational framework. I would have liked to have seen it address a wider audience; it seems to presume that its readers are relatively able-bodied and can afford things like gym memberships or exercise classes. It also seems to take a "just get over it" approach to handling the internalized fatphobia that gets in the way for many fat people who may wish to exercise, which is an approach that may work really well for some people but didn't speak to me personally. Although this book didn't quite hit the mark for me, I can see it being very valuable for other readers who fit the target audience, and who are already pretty well intrinsically motivated to exercise and just need some practical guidance.

emilylandry's review

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5.0

I think this book has forever changed my relationship to exercise, my body, and moving through the world. I started reading it after my neurologist suggested aerobic activity to help alleviate a migraine condition I was developing. Having consumed a lot of Healthy at Every Size and Fat Activism content on the internet, I was uncomfortable starting an exercise program out of a sense that it was a thinly veiled attempt to make me lose weight. But this book made me feel in charge of my own wellbeing, helped me figure out what kind of movement makes me feel good, and confirmed the value of exercising* for the sake of how I FEEL in my body in the world, not how I look. <3 <3 <3 it big time.

*I actually use the term body practice instead of exercise in my own life, following a suggestion in this book.

**If you don't agree with any of what I've said, that's toooootally fine, but I'm not really interested in debating about it! Thanks!