Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman is a workout manual was designed for plus size women interested in feeling more comfortable in their skins. Because of this, it’s focused on movement, not diet, and features workout routines specifically designed for the needs and concerns of plus-sized women.
By this, I mean that some of the moves are modified to allow for bigger boobs, tummies, and thighs, and that the models used to demonstrate these moves are truly plus-sized. This was quite refreshing. Rice, the author, notes that the silence on the specific needs of obese women trying to get fit is so deafening, it’s as though the fitness industry has decided that only certain bodies deserve the privilege of movement.
Rice discusses the awesomeness of a good support network, and the signs of an unhealthy one, as well as suggesting readers check out Body Positive. While this is a really fun book, and I liked seeing big girls as the models, it’s unfortunately a bit dated. Only one of the sites listed in the resource section still work.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
My frowny-face goes on whenever I see some reference to “real women” that implies that women who don’t fit a certain body type aren’t “real”.
Real women have bodies and take up space.
Anna(Quote) (Reply)
I think that the author was more referring to the idea that real women have a more complicated relationship to fitness than is typically acknowledged, which is why her routines incorporate mind/body meditations. However, I didn’t actually notice the subheading that came up when I used Amazon to make the link…
now my frowny face is sone too! CURSE YOU COVERLESS LIBRARY COPY.
the OTHER Maria(Quote) (Reply)
And yet so many people are quick to say “Put down the cookies and exercise every once in a while.” Sure, but a size XXL body does not work exactly the same way as a size XS-S-M body.
sbg(Quote) (Reply)
And what’s especially awesome about this is that she’s not talking about size XL/XXL women (who I think people often use as being representative of the plus-sized world). She’s also addressing the needs of women 3X and higher.
the OTHER Maria(Quote) (Reply)
Heh. I was just tossing out letters so as not to pick a certain one.
sbg(Quote) (Reply)