Louise Green - Eradicating Weight Bias in the Fitness Industry

Louise Green envisions a world where everyone can achieve their athletic potential regardless of size and, for 17 years, she’s been creating that world for people in larger bodies through her coaching, programming, and education at bigfitgirl.com and the Size Inclusive Academy.

She joins Sara Gross to discuss athleticism in a larger body. Weight bias is still so rampant in our culture that it’s normalized, but imagine navigating a world that is not made for you — from small doors and cramped fitness studios, to buff trainers and classes focused only on getting lean and “earning a bikini body.” You’re literally walking into a space where people don’t want to look like you.

It’s a traumatic experience, which is why some in larger bodies avoid fitness altogether, especially in public spaces.

It’s not laziness or lack of dedication. It’s not an unwillingness to do the work. It’s the impossible task of trying to fit into an unrealistic “one size fits all” standard and this is the cultural divide Louise is working to close. 

She and Sara discuss:

• Louise’s personal entry into the fitness space and the stereotypes she had to overcome to be recognized
• Our culture’s obsession with thinness 
• Why avoiding fitness is often a trauma response
• Why people in larger bodies are often devalued 
• How she started working with this population and why she feels it’s still important to create safe spaces
• The details of developing curriculums for trainers and fitness centers on how to work specifically with larger-bodied athletes
• Identifying Body positivity vs. body neutrality
• Our complicated relationship with the word, “fat” and the value of owning your own language
• How to work with companies and industries in helping them change and expand their offerings
• Future courses, programs, and books to support this audience

As she says, “If you're hating on yourself all the time, there's no way that you can rise to your highest potential.” This is why she creates programming specifically for women in larger bodies because she undoubtedly believes that anybody and any body can be an athlete. 

Follow Louise on Instagram: @bigfitgirl

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