“It's a bit predatory: the way the fitness industry thinks about what people are most self-conscious or vulnerable about, and then tries to sell them on that."
— Anna Maltby, on this week’s episode
This week I sat down with Anna Maltby — health journalist, personal trainer, and author of the How to Move newsletter — for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on the fitness industry. At the heart of this episode is what it can look like to rebuild a relationship with movement that isn’t rooted in shrinking, earning food, or “fixing” your body.
Anna brings a rare dual perspective: she spent years as an editor at publications like Men’s Health and Self, selling the very thing she now dismantles, before a pivotal moment shifted everything.
We talk about how fitness media manufactures insecurity to sell us solutions, what people are unlearning when they come to weight-neutral movement, why decoupling exercise from aesthetics can temporarily leave people unmotivated (and what to do about that), and why your squat is probably fine.
Tune in for more on:
The “body as business card” problem in fitness and nutrition
How magazine cover lines were engineered to exploit seasonal body insecurities
Anna’s origin story: from Eat This Not That to anti-diet fitness journalism
The Refinery29 moment that changed everything (shoutout to Kelsey Miller’s Anti-Diet Project column)
What people are unlearning: trusting their bodies, eating before workouts, modifications that aren’t lesser
Why losing aesthetic motivation can feel like losing all motivation, and how to find intrinsic intentions
The importance of where you are in recovery before reintroducing movement
How to experiment with movement without judging yourself on the first try
The “you’re doing it wrong” trend and why it’s harmful even in anti-diet spaces
Body diversity and squat mechanics (yes, really)
This one is for anyone who has ever felt like they were doing exercise “wrong,” or like their body wasn't built for fitness, or like they've lost the thread of why they'd even want to move in the first place. I think you're going to love Anna. I definitely do!
I have so many things I’d love to hear from you about in the comments, but these two questions are really sticking out to me as I write this:
Where are you right now with movement—full break, experimenting, somewhere else entirely? No wrong answers.
What’s one thing the fitness industry told you about your body or your capabilities that you’re still unlearning?
Before you leave, don’t forget to hit the “like” button, restack this episode, or share it with someone you think might enjoy the conversation. Every one of those things helps spread more compassion with movement, food, and our bodies. Thanks so much for being here!
