My Story , Part 2

Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman
by Rochelle Rice

(Page 2 of 2)

Many of us know that thinness does not equal physical fitness, but numerous exercise and diet gurus-the people who claim to know the most about health-seem to focus on weight loss at the expense of overall health. No one had created a comprehensive anatomical approach to exercise specifically for women of size. I conceived my fitness studio, In Fitness & In Health, and the Real Fitness for Real Women program to fill this void-they were created with the needs of real women in mind.

My first step was to study the body mechanics of women of size. I then devised a physiologically sound program for increasing strength, movement, and aerobic capacity. When I saw my individual clients make great strides in a regimen based on my independent research, I decided to get the credentials I needed. I earned a master's degree in individualized study at New York University, allowing me to research and design a program specifically for women of size. The end result? Real Fitness for Real Women, which contains the best program for enhancing the physical well-being and quality of life for women of size.

When I started my research, conventional wisdom held that weight loss was a prerequisite of fitness. Women of size had to lose weight first before they could really start getting fit. When I argued that women can achieve fitness at any size, that fitness was not about weight but about the body, mind, and spirit, many fitness professionals actually told me I was crazy. But when I offered proof, my fitness colleagues took note. My philosophy is simple: Women don't have to be thin to be fit. Some women may be slender and healthy, but one does not guarantee the other.

I opened my first In Fitness & In Health studio immediately after receiving my degree, and within a year and a half I had opened a second location. I appeared on Weekend Today in New York in December 1998. The response was overwhelming. I was inundated with calls from women thanking me for having the courage to articulate what they instinctively knew: The fitness industry discriminates against women of size. These women were relieved to find a fitness program that would regard them as the norm and treat them with respect.

Unfortunately not all women have access to my studios or even the time to schedule regular classes. But although many expensive health clubs and exercise programs would have you believe otherwise, getting fit is something you can do in your own home, right now. In Real Fitness for Real Women, I have outlined the same successful program that we teach in my studios. Despite the punishing “no pain no gain” doctrine of our culture, fitness should not be intimidating or painful. The women who have followed my program have told me that after just six weeks they have more mobility and stamina and are living fuller, happier, healthier lifestyles.

The program in Real Fitness for Real Women consists of a series of exercises tailored to the physiological and psychological needs of plus-size women. The program is designed to help you modify exercises if necessary and correct weaknesses and injuries that may be associated with larger bodies. Since fitness is as much about patterns of thinking as it is about discipline, I offer self-empowerment techniques that will help you develop a healthier, more agile, and more powerful body.

Leading a physically fit life often will result in weight loss, but that is not the primary goal of Real Fitness for Real Women. By embarking on my program, you will learn how to:

• Achieve your full physical potential
  
  
• Increase your physical productivity and activities of daily living
  
  
• Enhance your immune system
  
  
• Increase your self-esteem
  
  
• Heal weight-related injuries and discomfort
  
  
• Enhance your energy, stamina, and quality of life

Instead of taking a pounds-and-inches approach, Real Fitness for Real Women takes the focus off dieting and puts it where it belongs: on empowering women through movement. Before you know it, you will have an increased awareness of your body and how it functions, and a sense of your grace and power. You will realize that fitness and beauty can be found in women of any size. This program will change your life!

More than an exercise manual, this book has a much grander theme woven throughout-that of a collective consciousness. As we redefine fitness and health, we begin to restructure the thoughts of all women in terms of shape and size. I often liken it to a pebble thrown in the water, making ripples that widen out through the lake. Each woman who takes an action to change her life affects the lives of women around her. We are in charge of our own destinies; we have the power to strengthen our own self-worth and self-esteem as well as that of others.

Through Real Fitness for Real Women, you will regain your strength, increase your quality of life, and enjoy your activities of daily living with a fit and strong body. Remember, you are not a number, nor a size-just real. Your spirit will burst forth, breaking the chains of inactivity. You are not alone-we are here for you. You will not fail. The secret is movement.

Copyright © 2001 by Rochelle Rice and Kathy Silburger

About the Author

ROCHELLE RICE has a master's degree in plus-size exercise from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University. She is certified by the American Counsel on Exercise (ACE) and is a member of the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA). She serves on the board of directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance (NAAFA).