Happy Vibes Fitness

Did you know that weight loss doesn’t equal being physically healthy? In today’s society we are completely engulfed by diet culture. Thus, we have come to believe that having a larger body means that you’re unhealthy. REALITY CHECK Some people are genetically predisposed to have a bigger body size just like some people have genetics that result in them being 6 feet tall. Why are we trying to change genetics? ... Right... I know why. We are told that having a larger body poses a risk towards our health. The diet industry has instilled a fear inside us all. You will be very happy to know that studies have shown that proper nutrition and moving your body reduces health risks regardless of weight or body size. Interesting? I thought so too. Really consider this... if health is what we are striving for, why don’t we stop focusing on weight loss and start focusing on the mental and physical benefits of moving your body. Moving your body improves: strength stamina coordination balance well-being And the list goes on and on... My Instagram is for educational purposes and is not therapy, personal training or medical care. #joyfulmovement #antidiet #antidietculture #antidietrevolution #antiweightloss #healthyliving #wellnesstips #moveyourbody #selflove #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthtips #fitnessjourney #fitness #fitnessmotivation #loveyourbody #bodyinspiration #bodypositivity #intuitiveeating

I’m Lauren Andrews; certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Lakeshore Recreation in Port Elgin, Ontario. I graduated from Bryan College with a Health Fitness Trainer Diploma in June 2020 at the age of 21. My love for fitness began in my early teenage years. I swam and ran competitively and competed in the occasional triathlon. Up until recently, most of my fitness journey involved overexertion, restriction, and isolation. More often than not, the result was... burnout, poor mental health, and injury. It has taken me approximately 10 years to get my mindset to where it is today. It has taken suffering, listening to others experiences, reading educational books, going to therapy, finding the right medication and discovering a new set of social media influencers (e.g. therapists and dieticians that specialize in intuitive eating). My goal is to use the knowledge that I have gained to create a system that will help my clients. My CURRENT Beliefs: Your behaviours dictate your health, not your weight The purpose of moving your body is to help you feel good Moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day gives you health benefits Now I understand that not everyone will agree with my beliefs and that’s okay. My beliefs are shaped by the educational books that I read and my own personal experiences. For a while, I questioned whether I would be able to work as a personal trainer with these beliefs and views because the fitness industry can be part of diet culture. Most personal training clients want to either lose weight or build muscle. In some cases these changes are desirable for health reasons and in others they’re desirable for aesthetic reasons. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your health or wanting to look better, the problem is that people don’t understand that it’s not losing weight that’s making you healthy, it’s the health behaviours; moving your body and providing your body with essential nutrients. Furthermore, why have we become accustomed to associating beauty with a certain look. What if we didn’t have to look better? Who got to decide that a certain look is what looks best anyways? #fitnesstrainer #personaltrainer #personaltraining #wellness #fitness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness