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Train Happy: An Intuitive Exercise Plan for Every Body
Let go of the ‘exercise rules’ and learn to love working out and moving your body in a multitude of ways! Personal Trainer and Broadcaster Tally Rye is on a mission to change the way we think about exercise, encouraging you to approach it with a mindset of self-care rather than the traditional self-punishment narrative. Gain knowledge and tools that enable you to navigate your path to a health first, holistic approach to fitness which includes insights from leading experts in body image, mental health and intuitive eating. As you read, you will discover the wonderful physical and mental health benefits of regular activity and then start to feel their effects as you follow Tally’s 10-week training plan. The plan is designed to slot into your life in a sustainable and flexible way, providing resistance workouts, bodyweight workouts and weekly challenges to keep mixing it up which can all be done in the comfort of your own home.
160 pages, hardcover
Published February 4, 2020
105 people are currently reading
754 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 6, 2020
I wanted to love this guide so much. I am big fan of Tally’s internet presence. The challenges to diet culture are great. I had a real wake up call in the section about fitness trackers, which made me laugh. I love the illustrations and photos including BIPOC models in bigger bodies. There’s also acknowledgement of a meaningful range of “activity” from walking to rugby to pole fitness which is nice to see.
However, the plan hugely emphasises a “conventional” gym workout schedule. I was slightly thrown to discover that a move (a walk out) which I know to be generally challenging for many people in bigger bodies or people with any joint, back-related, or balance-impacting mobility concerns is featured in the warm-up. (You do this before with every workout in her plan). The walkout is mentioned without guidance or any alternatives. Then, in the workout guides, there are inconsistent modifications and it makes the audience for Train Happy inconsistent. Many of us have been in fitness situations where we can’t do the warm-up and that puts us in a negative spin on the rest of the work. Given the volume of research Tally has done and her important work on Instagram’s fitness spaces and the book’s strap-line “an intuitive exercise plan for every body”, it seems a shame and genuinely sad that the actual exercise plans do not include a) one really basic workout for absolute beginners, which she has done on Instagram or b) a matrix of similar moves where you could swap out something that doesn’t work easily for you.
A silly thing but the type is very small and pages are very densely packed. Some of the graphics and tips are brilliant but the background info is crowded out by being hard to read. Again, back on accessibility, this is really unfriendly for dyslexic readers. It makes me worry that the positive messages will just be ignored because you are overwhelmed and competitors’ books in the diet culture space are much more user-friendly.
However, the plan hugely emphasises a “conventional” gym workout schedule. I was slightly thrown to discover that a move (a walk out) which I know to be generally challenging for many people in bigger bodies or people with any joint, back-related, or balance-impacting mobility concerns is featured in the warm-up. (You do this before with every workout in her plan). The walkout is mentioned without guidance or any alternatives. Then, in the workout guides, there are inconsistent modifications and it makes the audience for Train Happy inconsistent. Many of us have been in fitness situations where we can’t do the warm-up and that puts us in a negative spin on the rest of the work. Given the volume of research Tally has done and her important work on Instagram’s fitness spaces and the book’s strap-line “an intuitive exercise plan for every body”, it seems a shame and genuinely sad that the actual exercise plans do not include a) one really basic workout for absolute beginners, which she has done on Instagram or b) a matrix of similar moves where you could swap out something that doesn’t work easily for you.
A silly thing but the type is very small and pages are very densely packed. Some of the graphics and tips are brilliant but the background info is crowded out by being hard to read. Again, back on accessibility, this is really unfriendly for dyslexic readers. It makes me worry that the positive messages will just be ignored because you are overwhelmed and competitors’ books in the diet culture space are much more user-friendly.
June 27, 2021
A nice, encouraging book that asks you to embrace exercise for its many positive benefits - NOT as a way of changing how you look. While I approved of the anti-diet, body positive sentiments, they did go on a bit long. I found the summary of the different types of exercise,and how they fit into a whole fitness plan, useful. However, I'm unlikely to follow the workout that forms a large part of the book, preferring other activities instead.
edited to correct the 'typo'!
edited to correct the 'typo'!
February 5, 2020
Well, I got this book today and already finished reading it! I found it to be an interesting, fresh, and helpful view of why exercise is a joyful not torturous experience. Though the information included is not groundbreaking, it’s presented in a logical, concise, and enjoyable format. The writer uses a conversational tone which is accessible and easy to get immersed in. It’s almost like reading an extended magazine article from “Self.” The writing style and layout is probably not for everyone (is the font small or am I just getting old?) and the sprinkled emojis and “journal-type” activities were unnecessary. I liked the research that was cited, as well as excerpts from various experts in the health and wellness world. Also of note, this book is particularly aimed at women’s fitness, not that men can’t benefit from the information, but the author’s target audience is made pretty clear (if you couldn’t tell from the cover). Overall, after reading I was inspired to be easier on myself regarding food choices, and to incorporate more exercise into my life. I will say however, that the workouts included look pretty hard! I’m not sure I would start with those, but it’s helpful how they are laid out week by week and I assume they get progressively more difficult as you go. To wrap up, at its core, this book does a great job of teaching the reader to think more critically about diet and exercise culture, as well as encouraging the reader to try new ways of incorporating exercise into their life.
June 23, 2021
This really didn't have any life changing information in it; similar to other reviews, she often summarizes passages from other frankly better books (like Laura Thomas's book Just Eat It, which I cannot stress enough how fundamental that text is for the fat liberation movement, as it is a comprehensive and digestible text). I'm not sure why this even needed to be book length, as none of the self-examination she suggests to exercise intuitively is fleshed out in the least and really isn't sufficient for anyone to alter their way of thought. It just doesn't go deep enough, it doesn't really peer into anything, it doesn't require the rigorous thinking that is necessary for real personal growth and re-programming. Not only, but the graphs and studies she pulls are frankly not very convincing as she doesn't explain who is being asked, who is conducting the study, what is the size of the study, etc. It's just not scientifically comprehensive, especially when I have read other books that work very hard to be, like Linda Bacon. Hell, I've seen YouTube videos by fitness influencers more comprehensive than this. The 10 week (or was it 12? I skimmed it) plan is also not great and it dominated more than a quarter of the book. Walk down planks are not accessible or easily modified. Most people would consider a plank one of the least fun or intuitive exercises. While she encourages different types of exercise, she never uses the plan as an opportunity to promote those. Why not put "pick your favorite exercise and do it on this day!" "Outside day!" etc. The plan is a copy and paste gym routine. I don't need another plan, I need to know the building blocks of making my own!
Perhaps I'm too harsh in my examination; I am always looking for the next big, life altering feminist text. I recognize not every feminist text can be theory. I recognize how great it is that Rye is willing to commit herself, as a personal trainer (an able-bodied, white personal trainer no less), to this feminist vision. But I can't help look for the next big thing. I'm sick of marketable, brandable versions of this supremely complicated and nuanced psychological untangling that goes with systematic change. The fact that people want something they only have to slightly engage with is worrying to me. I also worry that influencers getting book deals is just another fad catered to millennials, similar to when talk show hosts (cough The Doctors) get them. While I don't doubt Rye's agenda, most of these influencers don't strike me as knowledgeable enough to instruct others; nine times out of ten I come away unsatisfied or feel as if something is missing, or that the message works so hard to be fun, cutesy, easy, bright, happy, embody a certain aesthetic (that happens to match the influencers instagram account), or just appeal to a very narrow crowd of people, that whatever depth that could have been is lost.
The three star rating is mainly because I support her message, I recognize she's fighting an uphill battle, and I did like the book aesthetically. I think it's great for young people, definitely. But I think if you're looking for depth, look elsewhere.
Perhaps I'm too harsh in my examination; I am always looking for the next big, life altering feminist text. I recognize not every feminist text can be theory. I recognize how great it is that Rye is willing to commit herself, as a personal trainer (an able-bodied, white personal trainer no less), to this feminist vision. But I can't help look for the next big thing. I'm sick of marketable, brandable versions of this supremely complicated and nuanced psychological untangling that goes with systematic change. The fact that people want something they only have to slightly engage with is worrying to me. I also worry that influencers getting book deals is just another fad catered to millennials, similar to when talk show hosts (cough The Doctors) get them. While I don't doubt Rye's agenda, most of these influencers don't strike me as knowledgeable enough to instruct others; nine times out of ten I come away unsatisfied or feel as if something is missing, or that the message works so hard to be fun, cutesy, easy, bright, happy, embody a certain aesthetic (that happens to match the influencers instagram account), or just appeal to a very narrow crowd of people, that whatever depth that could have been is lost.
The three star rating is mainly because I support her message, I recognize she's fighting an uphill battle, and I did like the book aesthetically. I think it's great for young people, definitely. But I think if you're looking for depth, look elsewhere.
February 27, 2021
Doesn't Do What It Says on the Tin
I was so excited for what this book advertised on the cover: An intuitive exercise plan for everybody. And while I loved the bright colors, inclusive photos, and modern, informal writing style, this book did not deliver what it promised.
The first half of the book was a rehash of body acceptance, intuitive eating, self-compassion, the dangers of social media, etc. It would be an okay primer if the ideas were entirely new to you, but the authors she refers to do it so much better. (And BTW, "The Anatomy of Trust" is not a book by Brene Brown - it's an Oprah episode.)
From pages 57 to 65 the author finally talked about intuitive movement. But, with all of eight pages, there was neither breadth nor depth I was looking for. I needed more guidance to help me set and achieve well-being-based fitness goals that make sense for me.
Instead, the author offered the exact opposite: A 60 page, 10-week training plan, full of exercises that are painful to impossible for many bigger bodies (jumping, reverse planks, etc.), with no modifications. It's not intuitive at all. It was the sort of prescriptive training that turns so many of us off in the first place. Even with larger models demonstrating the poses, these exercises still seemed shaming and 'shoulding'.
I was so excited for what this book advertised on the cover: An intuitive exercise plan for everybody. And while I loved the bright colors, inclusive photos, and modern, informal writing style, this book did not deliver what it promised.
The first half of the book was a rehash of body acceptance, intuitive eating, self-compassion, the dangers of social media, etc. It would be an okay primer if the ideas were entirely new to you, but the authors she refers to do it so much better. (And BTW, "The Anatomy of Trust" is not a book by Brene Brown - it's an Oprah episode.)
From pages 57 to 65 the author finally talked about intuitive movement. But, with all of eight pages, there was neither breadth nor depth I was looking for. I needed more guidance to help me set and achieve well-being-based fitness goals that make sense for me.
Instead, the author offered the exact opposite: A 60 page, 10-week training plan, full of exercises that are painful to impossible for many bigger bodies (jumping, reverse planks, etc.), with no modifications. It's not intuitive at all. It was the sort of prescriptive training that turns so many of us off in the first place. Even with larger models demonstrating the poses, these exercises still seemed shaming and 'shoulding'.
January 31, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book, it put my mind at ease. Although, obviously, I am not ready to start any training programmes yet. It inspired me to think about what activities I enjoy and what my goals were. IE, I love walks and walking challenges as well as yoga and competitive sports like badminton.
💪🏼
Rye’s book contains many helpful resources for the reader to explore the theories further and helpful quotes/ passages from experts in the field. This created a text that was very reassuring and trustworthy with theories that made a whole lot of sense.
💪🏼
I found the explanations of the different areas of exercise, their benefits and how they can be incorporated into your life very helpful.
💪🏼
But in particular I liked Rye’s messages surrounding Body neutrality, and her stance on Body Positivity is insightful and well researched.
💪🏼
All in all a great book for anyone who is feeling a bit confused and battered by the diet industry. I know once I feel rested and recovered from my pregnancy I can come back to this book and look further into the 10 week plan.
💪🏼
Rye’s book contains many helpful resources for the reader to explore the theories further and helpful quotes/ passages from experts in the field. This created a text that was very reassuring and trustworthy with theories that made a whole lot of sense.
💪🏼
I found the explanations of the different areas of exercise, their benefits and how they can be incorporated into your life very helpful.
💪🏼
But in particular I liked Rye’s messages surrounding Body neutrality, and her stance on Body Positivity is insightful and well researched.
💪🏼
All in all a great book for anyone who is feeling a bit confused and battered by the diet industry. I know once I feel rested and recovered from my pregnancy I can come back to this book and look further into the 10 week plan.
January 29, 2022
I am an Eating Disorder Therapist and yoga instructor with a focus on intuitive eating, intuitive movement, and Health at Every Size. I really enjoyed the first half of this book where the author shares her approach to movement and ditching traditional fitness and diet culture in favor of listening to your body and moving in ways you enjoy vs the pursuit of weight loss/changing your body. Is this brand new information? No, but if someone is new to these topics it’s a nice summary of other books and concepts.
However; the routines listed in this book are NOT beginner friendly and not accessible for all bodies. There are no alternatives or modifications listed, which is very disappointed. Some challenging movements are listed as “simple”. This is extremely discouraging for folx looking to try new movement, not to mention harmful. I had high hopes for this book but sadly will not be recommending to my clients.
However; the routines listed in this book are NOT beginner friendly and not accessible for all bodies. There are no alternatives or modifications listed, which is very disappointed. Some challenging movements are listed as “simple”. This is extremely discouraging for folx looking to try new movement, not to mention harmful. I had high hopes for this book but sadly will not be recommending to my clients.
January 29, 2021
Tally brings such a refreshing view to exercise and that it isn't all about the weight loss or inch loss. This finally shows that bigger people can also be fit and that the diet industry has a lot to be accountable for. I cannot wait to try the workout plan and hopefully see my strength improve!
August 11, 2020
I wanted to really like this book as it’s so beautifully presented.
However I found it’s content is very basic, nothing groundbreaking. Feels like reading a long blog post full of personal views with some facts.
Would recommend if you have -never- set a foot in a Gym or done -any- exercise at all
However I found it’s content is very basic, nothing groundbreaking. Feels like reading a long blog post full of personal views with some facts.
Would recommend if you have -never- set a foot in a Gym or done -any- exercise at all
July 13, 2024
The target demographic for this book is women who have struggled with diet culture but still want a reason and motivation to exercise and eat well and make lifestyle changes. The first half of the book is about deconstructing all our preconceptions about fitness.
February 6, 2021
Really interesting insight into navigating health and fitness in a society locked into diet culture. It’s changed my mindset on exercise, and seems like a great book to come back to time and time again
February 10, 2021
I liked this book a lot, particularly applying the intuitive eating principles to training, i.e. stop torturing yourself to lose weight and find exercise that you enjoy and makes you feel good. I loved that the workout plan showed non conventional bodies ... But it was still a workout plan that people with low mobility and low strength would probably struggle with beginning, and the book did not offer ways to modify the exercises.
October 28, 2020
I bought this book when it came out at the start of the year and read the main bulk in a day. I didn't want to review it however until I had completed the ten week work out plan.
I think the concept of the book is great and I love how it looks. I think for someone trying to find exercise joyful without punishment, the first section of the book will be extremely helpful in teaching them new skills and learning from Tally's own experience of diet culture. The section on intuitive eating is also excellent if this is a new concept for you. Having expert guest writers is a smart addition.
I think the book could have been better laid out to make it truly accessible however, esp as the tag line is a plan for every body. There is a lot of information and it can be difficult to process. It is the first time I've ever followed a structured fitness plan, and I was able to add to it in ways thanks to suggestion of challenges (I did virtual barre classes which I never would have been comfortable enough to do before), but the plan was so structured there were no tips for people in bodies that would struggle to do some of the moves. I have had a PT in the past so am confident in modifying moves or doing something else if I wasn't able to complete what the plan suggested. I was able to have a small home workout kit with a set of dumbbells and 2 KBs, but for folk who can't get to the gym or not afford to buy equipment it may be a barrier.
I loved that the plans showed different bodies completing the circuits but because of the lack of modifications I wondered if all people with those body types would be able to successfully complete the 10 weeks?
There are some definite pros to the book though and I hope if Tally does another or even a refresh of this, she can add to it to increase inclusivity. I feel stronger and am absolutely delighted I managed to complete the plan, and it's encouraged me to continue to work with my body, rather than against it.
I think the concept of the book is great and I love how it looks. I think for someone trying to find exercise joyful without punishment, the first section of the book will be extremely helpful in teaching them new skills and learning from Tally's own experience of diet culture. The section on intuitive eating is also excellent if this is a new concept for you. Having expert guest writers is a smart addition.
I think the book could have been better laid out to make it truly accessible however, esp as the tag line is a plan for every body. There is a lot of information and it can be difficult to process. It is the first time I've ever followed a structured fitness plan, and I was able to add to it in ways thanks to suggestion of challenges (I did virtual barre classes which I never would have been comfortable enough to do before), but the plan was so structured there were no tips for people in bodies that would struggle to do some of the moves. I have had a PT in the past so am confident in modifying moves or doing something else if I wasn't able to complete what the plan suggested. I was able to have a small home workout kit with a set of dumbbells and 2 KBs, but for folk who can't get to the gym or not afford to buy equipment it may be a barrier.
I loved that the plans showed different bodies completing the circuits but because of the lack of modifications I wondered if all people with those body types would be able to successfully complete the 10 weeks?
There are some definite pros to the book though and I hope if Tally does another or even a refresh of this, she can add to it to increase inclusivity. I feel stronger and am absolutely delighted I managed to complete the plan, and it's encouraged me to continue to work with my body, rather than against it.
August 15, 2020
I liked this book a lot, mostly. Basically it's in three parts, the first section talks through the author Tally's own journey to finding a mindset that suited her after developing an unhealthy relationship with her body and exercise and pulls together lots of evidence and helpful signposting in how to avoid unhealthy diet culture and adopting a robust approach to body neutrality. As a PT and fitness influencer, she talks so well and is super inclusive in her approach, bringing in quotes and contributions from a range of health, fitness and mental health experts. The second section is the thinking and theory around finding exercise that makes you feel good and keeps you healthy without veering into addictive or disordered behaviour. The third section is an exercise plan which is modelled in photographs by a representative and diverse range of models, it has old fashioned posed series of photos which are supplemented by some rather simple YouTube videos. The exercise plan is not needed but I was excited to try the routines - annoyingly the book and the videos don't offer alternatives, that you can work up from and found it off-putting and less inclusive than I expected, when even in the warm up there was an exercise I found too difficult to do. The idea of the plan is week by week you can build up to routines that push you harder but I found my excitement waned when a sprinkled throughout there are things that my body cannot currently do, without suggestions of things to do instead. I will use the plan as inspiration when pulling together my own plans, but this section fell down for me. However the first two thirds are so good, I have recommended it to my swim coach to gen-up on great ways to think about inclusivity in his work and how to support the people he trains who like me, have a patchy relationship with fitness training.
March 1, 2021
This book was fine. It provided a lot of information I had already heard or read before, especially having read about intuitive eating. I was excited to read about how intuitive exercise could be useful as someone who has suffered from dieting and exercising, restricting and losing a lot of weight a few times in my life.
The most revolutionary things came down to two concepts (for me): (1) body neutrality (not focusing on body love or body loathing - just choosing not to think about how your body looks at all), which is a relief after being told I *have* to love my body, love my body, love my body. As someone who struggles with body acceptance, it was a relief to hear that it's okay if I just choose not to focus on how it looks at all. Focus, rather, on how my body feels instead. "The body you inhabit is merely a home for the other gifts that you possess – things like personality, kindness and intelligence." And (2) going back to movement that I enjoy without feeling a need to track it in any sort of way. For me, that means swimming, biking, volleyball, hiking, tennis, kayaking, and yoga. Not worrying about how many calories my watch says I've burned or where my heart rate peaks, or whether or not I closed my rings. Just moving for the sake of moving, and making it fun, because activity is healthy. It doesn't matter what I look like, or whether I'm losing weight. Am I having fun? Is my movement joyful? If yes, then that's all that matters.
It was worth skimming through the things I've already heard for those two concepts. However, if you feel new to this idea and totally lost, she offers a 10-week workout plan at the end of the book as well that might be useful.
Overall, though, I skimmed more of this than I read. I found a lot of useful nuggets, but this wasn't groundbreaking work. It was *shrugs* fine.
The most revolutionary things came down to two concepts (for me): (1) body neutrality (not focusing on body love or body loathing - just choosing not to think about how your body looks at all), which is a relief after being told I *have* to love my body, love my body, love my body. As someone who struggles with body acceptance, it was a relief to hear that it's okay if I just choose not to focus on how it looks at all. Focus, rather, on how my body feels instead. "The body you inhabit is merely a home for the other gifts that you possess – things like personality, kindness and intelligence." And (2) going back to movement that I enjoy without feeling a need to track it in any sort of way. For me, that means swimming, biking, volleyball, hiking, tennis, kayaking, and yoga. Not worrying about how many calories my watch says I've burned or where my heart rate peaks, or whether or not I closed my rings. Just moving for the sake of moving, and making it fun, because activity is healthy. It doesn't matter what I look like, or whether I'm losing weight. Am I having fun? Is my movement joyful? If yes, then that's all that matters.
It was worth skimming through the things I've already heard for those two concepts. However, if you feel new to this idea and totally lost, she offers a 10-week workout plan at the end of the book as well that might be useful.
Overall, though, I skimmed more of this than I read. I found a lot of useful nuggets, but this wasn't groundbreaking work. It was *shrugs* fine.
October 29, 2021
I’ve had this book for a little while now and I’m conflicted in my review because I haven’t actually completed the 10 week training plan- however I picked it up as someone who’s body has been various shapes over the last 24 months as I wanted something “fail proof” that could get me back into a healthier routine- but the quality of the workout descriptions leaves a lot to be desired! Firstly there are three “workouts” a week- a resistance, body strength and “challenge”- which is essentially, park further away, take the stairs each day etc. in trying to be non threatening, there is actually little guidance- k was left confused whether I should complete all three exercises a day, alternate, or just do three workouts a week- and this is the option that made the most sense. However considering this is meant to be an inclusive plan, some of the exercise were disproportionately hard- especially if you consider I can complete the beginners course on the Centr app, but was unable to complete the first recommended “superset” of 10 goblet squats to bench followed by 12 dead bugs (repeat three times!) if I could just about manage it, I’m not sure it would be manageable for someone slightly more unfit than me… which is the aim of the book!
Not to mention the “warm up” includes exercises that are certainly not suitable for a warm up (for example a warm up should focus on stretching out and warming up each muscle group but her first exercise is a walk out to plank- again full body, and doubtlessly challenging for many.
On top of that, the workouts just aren’t clear, with no description of some of the moves (and I don’t want to take to YouTube to figure out literally every one…)
But. A good body positive message if you look past the fact it’s written by someone who looks like every other white female fitness professional on the internet…
Not to mention the “warm up” includes exercises that are certainly not suitable for a warm up (for example a warm up should focus on stretching out and warming up each muscle group but her first exercise is a walk out to plank- again full body, and doubtlessly challenging for many.
On top of that, the workouts just aren’t clear, with no description of some of the moves (and I don’t want to take to YouTube to figure out literally every one…)
But. A good body positive message if you look past the fact it’s written by someone who looks like every other white female fitness professional on the internet…
March 17, 2024
So I'm a note-taker, especially with non-fiction. If a saying hits me and I think I'll need to read it again later, I'm saving it. I say (write) this because this review is about to become littered with the quotes that impacted me the most. So before that let me mention my main issue with this book: this is going to sound so stupid, but its the exercise plan. The plan is in the title, its the main part of the blurb, but yes, its my issue. The majority of this book is breaking down body-shaming, diet culture, and talking about doing what you personally need to be happy. This contradicts the idea of the plan for me, the first part of the book basically tells me that I don't need to next part of the book. Move intuitively- except for the 10 week exercise plan where I list exactly what you should do. But anywho, quotes:
"I want to help you build trust with yourself and reclaim your body so that you can enjoy exercise on your terms, in your own unique way." (See contradictory- the unique way of this specific exercise plan)
"Stop creating rules around how often you should be exercising- a little movement each day is better than none."
"Exercise is just one piece of the larger health and happiness puzzle, so what else can we do to promote happiness and wellbeing?"
"People with positive body image and healthy self-esteem have a strong sense of self-worth, believing they deserve love, care, and respect. People who have poor self-esteem are often very critical of themselves, focusing on mistakes and weaknesses, believing they are inferior to others."
"Body acceptance: this looks like moving and eating in a way that brings nourishment, pleasure and ease... and it means doing our best within life's circumstances, knowing that we are valuable and worthy no matter the look or ability of our bodies."
"I want to help you build trust with yourself and reclaim your body so that you can enjoy exercise on your terms, in your own unique way." (See contradictory- the unique way of this specific exercise plan)
"Stop creating rules around how often you should be exercising- a little movement each day is better than none."
"Exercise is just one piece of the larger health and happiness puzzle, so what else can we do to promote happiness and wellbeing?"
"People with positive body image and healthy self-esteem have a strong sense of self-worth, believing they deserve love, care, and respect. People who have poor self-esteem are often very critical of themselves, focusing on mistakes and weaknesses, believing they are inferior to others."
"Body acceptance: this looks like moving and eating in a way that brings nourishment, pleasure and ease... and it means doing our best within life's circumstances, knowing that we are valuable and worthy no matter the look or ability of our bodies."
October 21, 2023
Good overview of intuitive exercise! Love good quotes like “the most important thing is that you listen to your body and go at your own pace… having fun along the way.” Also good overview of how to tailor certain categories of exercise (resistance, cardio, balance and flexibility) into your week. I like her acknowledging that informal types of exercise can be just as useful as formal ones! Also great she mentions the importance of mental health, self care, sleep and boundaries!
I think there were nuanced elements of intuitive exercise it could’ve addressed but didn’t. But that makes sense for an overview!
Like for instance, one thing I wish it had discussed is that’s I think that exercise for health promoting reasons, instead of weight, can also become a diet in itself if there’s shame, rigid rules and moralism added to the idea one needs to exercise a certain amount or way for health. This was kinda addressed when she mentioned the fitness police, which is a term for a person or internal voice “that tells you that yoga isn’t a workout, that if you didn’t sweat you didn’t work hard enough.” However, she moves on to explain extreme examples of this, where the fitness police is focused on aesthetic goals. I’ve found personally that my parents mentioned a lot the benefits of exercise for health, but this became external rules, where me doing a 20 minute walk that day was not complimented, but instead critiqued for not being intense enough. While intense cardio is great for you, walking has so many benefits, and a heirachy of movement and shame is never great. It gave me a bad relationship to walking, which actually has so many health benefits, is flexible and low impact, and you can incorporate cardio with fast walking!
I think there were nuanced elements of intuitive exercise it could’ve addressed but didn’t. But that makes sense for an overview!
Like for instance, one thing I wish it had discussed is that’s I think that exercise for health promoting reasons, instead of weight, can also become a diet in itself if there’s shame, rigid rules and moralism added to the idea one needs to exercise a certain amount or way for health. This was kinda addressed when she mentioned the fitness police, which is a term for a person or internal voice “that tells you that yoga isn’t a workout, that if you didn’t sweat you didn’t work hard enough.” However, she moves on to explain extreme examples of this, where the fitness police is focused on aesthetic goals. I’ve found personally that my parents mentioned a lot the benefits of exercise for health, but this became external rules, where me doing a 20 minute walk that day was not complimented, but instead critiqued for not being intense enough. While intense cardio is great for you, walking has so many benefits, and a heirachy of movement and shame is never great. It gave me a bad relationship to walking, which actually has so many health benefits, is flexible and low impact, and you can incorporate cardio with fast walking!
January 15, 2023
I'm ambivalent about this book.
If you've never heard of intuitive eating then it's a good introduction and the extension of the concept to exercise is interesting and quite well explained. There's a lot of interviews with experts on different subjects related to the main thrust of the book. I liked the use of diverse body types in the illustrations and in the pictures for the exercise plan. It's encouraging to those of us who will never look like a fitspo influencer.
On the other hand, that exercise plan is not 'for every body'. I'm not exactly as fit as I used to be, but even when I was really fit, I would have struggled to get into the first week of the plan. Too much equipment needed, too much time. The author falls into the trap of assuming everyone has time for multiple work out sessions a week, has the space to work out or the money for the equipment or a gym membership. And don't get me started on the complete lack of adaption for people with limited mobility. At the same time she mentioned the inequities of the current paradigm of the fitness and diet industries.
It's a good introduction to the ideas of body neutrality, weight neutral movement and their benefits for mental and physical health, but I wouldn't try the exercise plan unless you already have a reasonable level of fitness.
If you've never heard of intuitive eating then it's a good introduction and the extension of the concept to exercise is interesting and quite well explained. There's a lot of interviews with experts on different subjects related to the main thrust of the book. I liked the use of diverse body types in the illustrations and in the pictures for the exercise plan. It's encouraging to those of us who will never look like a fitspo influencer.
On the other hand, that exercise plan is not 'for every body'. I'm not exactly as fit as I used to be, but even when I was really fit, I would have struggled to get into the first week of the plan. Too much equipment needed, too much time. The author falls into the trap of assuming everyone has time for multiple work out sessions a week, has the space to work out or the money for the equipment or a gym membership. And don't get me started on the complete lack of adaption for people with limited mobility. At the same time she mentioned the inequities of the current paradigm of the fitness and diet industries.
It's a good introduction to the ideas of body neutrality, weight neutral movement and their benefits for mental and physical health, but I wouldn't try the exercise plan unless you already have a reasonable level of fitness.
May 1, 2021
I wanted to like this guide a lot more than I did - the main bulk of the content was a rehash of intuitive eating, body acceptance, etc. that you can find in a ton of other books. There wasn’t a ton of new content, although the (brief) section on intuitive movement was probably the most helpful. However, I think what I was most disappointed by was the actual training plan - it includes very standard “gym” exercises, which don’t seem that intuitive to me, despite the subtitle of the book? The subtitle also claims to be for “every body,” and while there is some diversity included in the book’s images, there is no mention of modifications and the exercises are not super well explained, which wouldn’t make it very accessible for people who are brand new to exercise. I’m left feeling pretty meh about this book, unfortunately.
April 26, 2020
Most of this book is fantastic and is a refreshing change from the clean eating/HIIT workout books that make up most of the fitness genre at the moment. My only issue with the book is with the workouts given. There is no modifications offered so if you are very unfit or morbidly obese you may struggle. I certainly did. Which led to frustration which is the opposite feeling the book is trying to promote. I think the workouts assume some level of activity/fitness and don’t account for people that never enjoyed fitness in their life.
But don’t let that stop you from getting the book. Overall it’s great and finally gives representation in fitness to women other than skinny white women, you just have to figure out modifications for yourself.
But don’t let that stop you from getting the book. Overall it’s great and finally gives representation in fitness to women other than skinny white women, you just have to figure out modifications for yourself.
December 22, 2022
This book is…okay? It’s definitely for BoPo beginners (not people who have been pursuing body neutrality & joyful movement previously).
At first, it’s kind of like Diet Culture Sucks 101, which is helpful! Then it moves on to eating intuitively. I have a weird relationship with “intuitive eating” as a neurodivergent person. Then moving intuitively.
Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of tracking and prescriptive movement in this book, which can be triggering for people like me who are a) actually fat, and b) recovering from orthorexia.
This book is great for white, straight, cisgender, financially stable, midsize or small fats without mental health issues, neurodivergence, chronic pain, or other disabilities.
At first, it’s kind of like Diet Culture Sucks 101, which is helpful! Then it moves on to eating intuitively. I have a weird relationship with “intuitive eating” as a neurodivergent person. Then moving intuitively.
Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of tracking and prescriptive movement in this book, which can be triggering for people like me who are a) actually fat, and b) recovering from orthorexia.
This book is great for white, straight, cisgender, financially stable, midsize or small fats without mental health issues, neurodivergence, chronic pain, or other disabilities.
October 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ overall, this is a great intro book on challenging one’s beliefs around exercise, particularly around how diet culture has shaped many of our approaches to how and why we exercise. Tally explores the benefits of exercises outside of appearance based purposes and provides the reader with a program that is inclusive and realistic for most to achieve. I did find that she referred off to a lot of excerpts and opinions from others which do strengthen the argument but also meant Tally’s perspective wasn’t strong in the book - I appreciate the need and purpose of referring out but it became a bit clunky. There’s some good reminders for everyone in questioning why we exercise, and it’s an inclusive discussion, however I don’t feel I have many new thoughts following reading it.
February 24, 2021
3.5 - The first two parts of the book were great, talking about the pervasiveness of diet & weight loss culture and how exercise can be reframed as enjoyable rather than punishing. It was well researched and I liked the emphasis on body neutrality. But the last part was perplexing because after 200+ pages of talking about the lack of inclusivity and pressure in exercise culture, it offers a pretty standard 10 week workout plan that I think would be quite intimidating to anyone who’s felt left out of what exercise “should” be and “should” look like. Yes, there are diverse models demonstrating the techniques, but it almost negated the rest of the book!
September 2, 2022
This is a fun book with a great overview of vital principles such as intuitive eating, gentle nutrition, intuitive movement, HAES, and body neutrality. While Tally Rye doesn’t share any groundbreaking information that I hadn’t heard before, I appreciated the consolidated wealth of information. Rye pulled together anti-diet culture principles in an accessible and relevant way. Aside from the lovely book design and graphics, I found the short content to be an easy but meaningful format. I also loved the body diversity Rye’s graphics and photos exemplify.
This is a solid 3.5/5 for me and I think it’s a great read!
This is a solid 3.5/5 for me and I think it’s a great read!
January 6, 2021
I loved this book. Reading about Intuitive eating and exercise was a real eye opener and something I think everyone could do with taking on board, both in how we view ourselves and other people. Eating when we are hungry and working out because it makes us feel good, not because it helps us lose weight or gain that elusive “perfect” body shape which is defined by the weight loss and fitness industry who make millions from our insecurities.
Thank you Tally for providing this much needed viewpoint.
Thank you Tally for providing this much needed viewpoint.
March 19, 2022
Ya conocía el concepto de alimentacion intuitiva y salud en todas las tallas, asi que entendia perfectamente la perspectiva del movimiento sin enfoque en el peso o la apariencia. Me gustó prque, ademas de una justificación acertada, me dio muchas herramientas y tips para poner atención a mi movimiento y llevarme al siguiente nivel. Preferí no hacer la rutina de ejercicios, me parece en este momento muy rígido, pero me dejó motivada para buscar nuevas formas de mantenerme en forma y desligar el objetivo de cambiar mi cuerpo o hacerlo mas pequeño.
March 13, 2024
The first part of this book is admirable. Then comes the 10-week plan, and you have to wonder if Ms. Rye (or her editor!!) had even read the previous pages. Rather than rejoice at how wonderful she is by including different-sized women, I wish Ms. Rye had considered women who aren't as physically fit as she is. The idea that she did not include modifications is unconscionable. Unless you are already fit--or had a previous problem with overtraining/exercise addiction-- this is NOT the book for you.
August 8, 2020
I got this book not so much for myself, as I have never been into diet culture and exercising for punishment, but to find out how I can put across a positive body image and mindset for my 13 year old daughter. She is very clued up but I am aware there is a bit of body shaming culture and want to find the alternative ago this. Tally Eye's book certainly does that. Her ethos and tips are fantastic and l love her pictures and use of real sized woman.
May 20, 2021
The training plan. We need to talk about the training plan at the end of the book, because there is nothing intuitive or joyful about it. I am fat but I also train a sport that requires strength, showed and stamina, and still I found the Tally Rye's warm-up undoable. In fact it felt downright demotivating. The rest of the book is one long blog post and I found it a slog to read, which was really disappointing, because I had been looking forward to this book.
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