As someone who has been both underweight and overweight, I recognise the struggles of not fitting into societies ideals. We very much live by a 'one size fits all' rule which quite frankly just doesn't work. As a fat person, I can try clothes in my size and while they might fit, they usually won't flatter me or do much for my figure, because really they were designed with a much more slender wearer in mind. The same goes for exercise routines. I can follow a routine designed for a 'beginner' but often find myself unable to keep up with it, unable to enjoy it and unable to maintain using it, because really the instructor had intended for it to be used by a much fitter beginner than me. It's very frustrating, if you're overweight then you're in much more desperate need of an exercise routine than most, and yet so many of the workout videos available online have ultra-fit audiences in mind! They're made for the workout junkies who live and die by the gym... that's great, but I'm the one who needs the help here, those guys seem to be doing pretty well on their own!
Basically, it can be very frustrating and disheartening to begin a work-out and find yourself unable to complete it. If you're reading this and thinking 'Sister, YES. I feel you' - then consider me your ally-turned-saviour. That's right. I have searched high and low for accessible workout videos online and have FINALLY found a channel that I think we can get behind!
Team Body Project describe themselves as a group of exercise fanatics offering 'achievable, sustainable and realistic workout plans for everyBODY'. Created by husband and wife duo, Daniel and Alexandra Bartlett, the aim of the project is to 'help you develop a relationship with movement that changes the way you think and feel about exercising.' Daniel and Alexandra are parents who recognise that working out for two to three hours a day simply isn't an option for most of us, and use their years of expertise to sculpt workouts that can be implemented into our daily routines without too much hassle.
I found out about the project through their Youtube channel when I was looking for beginner workouts and clicked onto their '30 minute fat burning home workout for beginners' video. I was drawn to it's thumbnail, which featured an overweight woman and obese man who looked as if they were giving the workout their all - this is what inspires me. If I see somebody super fit and healthy doing a workout, it doesn't speak to me, but seeing someone who has a body type like mine does. I watched a couple of minutes of the warm up and figured I'd give it a go, truthfully I wasn't feeling super optimstic about it - I'd just attempted to follow another workout video and had to quit five minutes in because my body just couldn't hack it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Daniel's positive and motivational commentary, as well as the 'can do' attitude displayed by all three of the instructors, was refreshing an inspiring. So many of these instructors either bark orders at you or come across as fake and over the top, not here. The instructors are real with you, they admit it's going to be tough, but they talk you through it every step of the way and really make you believe that you're going to make it to the end - so you do!
After getting through the first video, I was feeling proud and accomplished, so a couple of days later I tried another - and yet again, I made it through! Since then I have tried and tested a lot of the content on their channel and I am currently creating a workout routine that I can follow this summer, using their videos!
If you're a bit of a couch potato looking wanting to get fitter but so far struggling, please look them up and have a go for yourself. They offer simple but effective workouts for people just like us, and they're FREE! I also love that they don't require you to be jumping or using lots of equipment, because that's not really suitable if you're following along in your living room. They seem to be super aware of their audience and I think they deserve a lot more credit than they're currently getting, so please have a search and do let me know if you find yourself enjoying the workouts as much as I am!
Thank you for reading,
Jess x