FitRiss' Training & Philosophy

Movement & Exercise
Movement can be ANYTHING that meets your health goals. From getting in your steps through daily chores, building flexibility through yoga, developing strength and coordination through dance-inspired movements, elevating the heart rate through circuits, or building muscle via resistance training- it is whatever you want/need from any environment! It doesn't have to fatigue you. It doesn't have to increase the heart rate or make you sweat. It just involves moving the body in some sort of fashion.

Exercise is somewhat synonymous with Movement, yes; however, exercise is a step beyond movement. The term movement caters to a wider population - those experienced or not, old or young, functional or dysfunctional, etc. Exercise is thought of as something that is more challenging and fatiguing, and isn't as widely accepted by all. Exercise, like movement, is whatever you need it to be, but many do not understand that; exercise for one person looks different than exercise for another. That is the problem here: People compare themselves to what others are doing. Haven't ever picked up a weight, stepped foot in a gym, or walked casually down the road? Then walking 1 mile per day may be what is considered 'exercise' to you. And that's completely fine. Some examples of exercise can include:

• Dance-type, mobility exercises to enhance flexibility;  
• Functional and strength exercises to increase ADL's (activities of daily living) & decrease injury;
• Circuit training for enhanced energy, mood, and health maintenance.
• Daily walks

Health At Every Size
FitRiss would like to encourage people interested in reaching a better fitness to move away from body weight and size goals before starting. Body image is a sensitive and debilitating topic in today's world, and after doing some soul-searching, I have recently decided to practice and promote HAES (health at every size). Exercise is used to elevate mood, productivity, and overall health. Weight loss CAN be achieved with fitness and health training, but it should not be the primary focus (unless your doctor recommends otherwise). If your goals are to reduce body fat percentages or weight for HEALTH reasons, then by all means do what you need to do! But have a secondary goal. I have noticed time and time again that when people reach a certain weight or appearance, they consider their journey "done" and end up gaining all the weight back plus some. Your journey is never done if you don't adopt the lifestyle you dedicated yourself to in the first place. Can you be more lenient? Sure! But don't every think a healthy lifestyle is ever 'done'. Another note to think about: if you are already healthy and still stuck on reducing your body size, then I encourage you to ask yourself this question: "what is a 5,10,or even a 15 lb weight loss really going to do for me?" 
>>Will it reduce knee/joint pain?
>>Will it allow you to enjoy an activity with the family that is otherwise un-enjoyable?

​Dig deep. Don't compare yourself to others. Find your OWN health reason for doing so &, most importantly, do it for yourself.