Please Make Room for Us at the Starting Line

thorns_08_qualm

Dear MyFitnessPal: Please Make Room for Us “fluffy” folks at the Starting Line

Let’s talk real for a second…

I’ve gained 60 pounds. That’s not just a number—it’s a new reality. A reality where I can’t do the workouts I used to. Where bending forward feels impossible. Where lying flat on my back or belly isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s a no-go. The extra weight on my belly and backside physically gets in the way, and my joints and stamina are a whole different story than they used to be.

But I’m here. I’m trying. I want to move. And I know I’m not the only one.

I came back to MyFitnessPal because it’s a solid tool for accountability, tracking, and community. But there’s something missing—and I hope this reaches the people at MFP who can do something about it:

Please include workout plans that are made for beginners living in larger bodies—not just slimmed-down “beginner” versions of regular routines.

When you have mounds of fat in a space on your body, this means that space is going to change the way you have to move in order to exercise different muscle groups. It means that when you lie on your back on your mat, that your body forms an uncomfortable arch up and over your booty and you cannot just work through that. It means when you bend at the waist, the wind is knocked out of you by your belly pushing into your lungs. It means you cannot reach around to do certain things with your arms because there is just too much to reach around. Heck, your arms are not even able to hang straight down (looking at you, kettle bell).

It makes it impossible to start with the movements and forms that are classic to the fitness world.

I wish you could bring on a few workout routines that would show how it works for the fluffy folks.

Because here’s what happens otherwise:

• People open the app, ready to try.

• They click a workout labeled “beginner.”

• They find themselves being told to do burpees, planks, crunches, or yoga poses that require lying flat or balancing on wrists and knees.

• And then… they feel defeated. Embarrassed. Like maybe movement isn’t for them after all.

And that’s the tragedy. Not that we can’t do a plank—but that we start believing we shouldn’t bother trying at all.

I’m asking for:

• Chair-based routines for strength and cardio

• Yoga that accommodates large bellies, thighs, and backsides

• Slow, standing-only movement for those who can’t get on the floor

• True beginner fitness plans that explain form and breathing, not just reps and timers

• Encouragement without condescension, and instructors who reflect diverse body types

Not everyone knows how to modify a workout when their body literally can’t do what’s being asked. And they shouldn’t have to be fitness experts to get started. They just need a way in—a first step that actually fits them.

So, thank you MFP, for everything you do offer. I just hope you’ll see this and realize how many of us are waiting, ready to show up if only you’d meet us at the starting line.

And to anyone reading this who feels like fitness left them behind—you’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re just at a different chapter, and that’s okay. I’m right there with you.

Let’s keep showing up.

Jean

Hi there! You're absolutely right - fitness should be accessible to everyone, regardless of current abilities. Your call for truly beginner-friendly, body-diverse workouts is spot-on and could make a huge difference for many users in the app. Please know that I've passed this all along to the appropriate internal team to think more about.

Thank you again for your input - keep up the amazing work!

AmieDenayer2168

Well said! I haven't ventured into the fitness side yet, but in other apps many people leading routines are more fit and less plump and dont always fully understand we need modifications in a different way

LisaBatchford

100% Agree, it's very off putting when you're a bigger Gal and expected to keep up with others that don't have the weight issues we do.

This person summed it up in their post..

I have a chronic pain illness and find it hard to keep up with most people.

Where do we start?