Movement As Self-Respect, Not Self-Improvement

I love January. I’m all about fresh start vibes — I love the first of the month, Mondays, brand new days with bright mornings, and new goals. And January brings all of this with the promise of an unwritten year. The possibilities are endless! But January is also filled with a lot of noise: “new year, new you”, fitness challenges, new wellness routines…there can be so much pressure to start the clean-slate of the year off ‘strong’ and this year, I’m not buying into it. I’m still setting some goals for 2026, I’m still using January 2 as a clean slate (because January 1 is Japanese New Year and I’m still 100% in holiday mode on this day #iykyk), but this year, movement and wellness aren’t about fixing, shrinking, or “bouncing back” after the holidays. They’re about self-respect  choosing practices that honor my body, support my energy, and build strength for the long run.

You are going to see promos for gyms and boutique studios everywhere you look this month. Every fitness influencer will be running a challenge or ‘reset’. I’ve taken part in these in the past and they can be a great launching point for a healthier you if you want it to be. BUT let’s break down the typical messaging: ‘bounce back after the holidays’, ‘detox’ after all the sugary treats, ‘new year, new you’...This type of messaging frames our bodies as problems to solve rather than homes to care for. It’s loud, familiar, and normalized but not necessarily healthy or sustainable.

‘Self-improvement’ in the fitness and wellness space is often framed by restriction - eat less, get smaller, say ‘no’ to things that are ‘unhealthy’ (even if they bring you joy or community). You’re about to be inundated online with before and after photos, challenges where having perfect attendance = prizes, and very little room or understanding for real life and its roadblocks. This mindset ties our success and worthiness to outcomes rather than to the process, and it certainly doesn’t prioritize what really matters — long-term health and wellness that creates longevity and strength. 

This year, I’m not falling for it. I’m 35 years old, I’ve grown and given life to two beautiful babies, I’ve danced for over 25 years … My body is amazing. It’s truly incredible and I am so thankful for everything it has done and will continue to do for me. So there is not a chance in hell I am going to be ‘improving’ it from a place of restriction, punishment, or displeasure. I am going to be working WITH my body instead of against it and focusing on self-respect instead of self-improvement. 

I’m also thinking about future me. Not in a “fear of aging” way, but in a deeply practical, loving way. I want strength that supports my joints, not just workouts that leave me wrecked for days. I want mobility that keeps me dancing, lifting my kids, carrying groceries, and moving through my life without pain or hesitation. I want my nervous system regulated, not constantly spiked on adrenaline because I’m chasing intensity for intensity’s sake. This isn’t about doing less or settling, it’s about choosing what lasts. It’s wisdom over urgency. Sustainability over extremes. Movement that I can return to year after year because it supports my life instead of demanding I reorganize everything around it.

Here are a few ways I am choosing self-respect this January:

• Focusing on how my body feels when I eat certain foods instead of how those foods might impact my waistline

• Eating from an intentional place of nourishment to fuel my body so I am strong and my mood is stable 

• Choosing consistency over intensity 

• Exercising to build strength and muscle that will serve me as I enter my late 30s

• Only doing exercise that I like and not pushing through a workout because it burns more calories or because it’s what is listed on some challenge even though I hate it

• Actually engaging in recovery (ie: stretching, cupping, yoga, walking)

• Prioritizing joy and community — movement with others (yay dance class!) and letting meals with family and friends be joyous instead of planning what I might be eating in advance so it ‘fits my goals’
  

So here’s to a January built around self-respect and blocking out the noise of self-improvement. I’m going to be reclaiming that fresh start energy with intention and focus on growth without rejecting who I already am right now. 

And as we step into the new year, I want to challenge you to think about this…

What would change for you if movement came from a place of self-respect this year? 

What would your body feel like if it wasn’t something to fix? 

And I invite you to move differently in 2026. Not harder, not smaller. But with more intention and love.