But before I tell you what it is, let’s look at why the idea of “being fit” doesn’t feel right to me.

Why is there a focus on being fit?

What does being fit mean to you?

If you are anything like me, you get bombarded with lots of messages from the fitness industry. With clickbait headlines like “Get 6 pack abs fast!” and “The 3 upper body exercises you’re not doing!”. The fitness industry makes a lot of money from making you feel bad and they do it with headlines and blog articles like those.

If you do a Google image search for “fit”, you’ll find many images of 6-pack muscles, lean bodies, before and after photos, people exercising and tape measures.

While they’re not directly telling you that fit is thin, all of these styles of articles are usually accompanied by tall thin people with amazingly bronze glossy skin. IE. If you are fit, you are thin and look great. Which isn’t how most of us feel 99% of the time. They make the connection that the only way to be fit is to be thin and muscular, and that’s just not true.

Caption: Amanda with the Melbourne Shimmy Mob team – made up of healthy dancers of all physical sizes.

What does it mean to be “fit” then?

To me, to be fit is to have enough energy to run your usual day. So if you’re a mother of small children with a day job, you should have enough energy to get through a standard day of doing all those things without being exhausted (yes, I’m aware there is no “standard” day with kids, but you get what I mean).

Fit goes hand in hand with healthy. When you are healthy, regardless of your physical proportions, you have the energy you need to do your usual day without getting run down or having other issues stopping you.

But where does my physical size come into this?

Nowhere.

It has exactly zero to do with it.

Why?

Because you can be fit and healthy at any size. In the same way – you can be unfit and unhealthy at any size too. The fitness industry makes money off combining these two ideas as being unhealthy, unfit and “too big” are all points where they can sell you a service or product to help you.

Caption: Amanda feeling healthy and happy

So why don’t you want me to be fit?

Good question. I don’t want you to be fit in the fitness industry’s definition.

Where I’d love you to focus on being healthy and happy.

I want more of the “F” word… FUN!

If you are nourishing your body with food that is good for you (which is different for everyone), and you have enough energy to do your usual day (including a dance class if you’re interested), then what physical shape you are doesn’t matter to me, and it shouldn’t matter to you.

You can dance at any shape, size and age. Dance is also great for your mental health and can make your brain age in reverse! (There are many studies on this I can share).

Plus. If you are spending less time worrying about your physical shape, and more time focused on the fun things in life – like good (for you) food and having fun, then you’ll feel better and this gives you the best glow that everyone can see and appreciate.