We're a weight-neutral Studio

A What Now?!

One of our core values as a community company is that we offer a weight-neutral approach to movement and wellbeing. But... what does this even mean?

There are 5 key principles which we promote at all times and that we ask anyone offering their own activities within our space to  align with...

  • Our coaching, advice and goal setting is not weight-loss or appearance focused.
  • The language we use when coaching, in sessions names and in our marketing will always focus on the functional benefits of movement such as strength, endurance, mobility, energy, health, self-care, or enjoyment and never the manipulation of appearance.
  • Our marketing materials will never feature before-and-after appearance focused images.
  • We support people to develop intuitive movement and reconnect with their body’s signals, prioritising holistic health, performance and wellbeing over external tracking tools.
  • We will never weigh or measure anyone as part of our programmes or assessments.

But what about health?

The short answer to this is that weight loss doesn't equal health - I know, controversial right?! The long answer is A LOT of evidence (we'll list the key studies at the end of this in case you're interested) which show us this. In fact, what research tells us is that improving  cardiorespiratory fitness (endurance and stamina for aerobic exercise) improves physical health every single time. Not to mention the myriad of evidence we have showing the benefits cardio and strength training has on our physical and mental health.

Weight loss? Sometimes.

The problem with weight loss is that it's a gamble. Some people keep it off, some people don't.

Additionally, it's important to recognise that there are so many reasons why weight loss is not healthy. Not only can someone become smaller as a result of illness, but some of the means people use to intentionally achieve weight loss are not necessarily healthy. The motivation to use exercise and restrict food to lose weight has been significantly associated with the development of disordered eating and obsessive exercise conditions.

It would be remiss of  us to not make it clear here that this is not always the case and that there are many reasons why someone may choose to lose weight. We hold no judgement at all around this. In fact, we truly believe in body autonomy... that's why we are a weight-neutral studio. But the simple fact is that societally, the assumption is that weight loss is healthy and it's a goal we should all aspire to (particularly those of us living in larger bodies). When the reality is that it's so much more complex than that.

So, our decision to be weight-neutral is a decision to create a space which is intentionally different to the mainstream. We don't coach weight loss (or any appearance related goals for that reason) because most places do... instead we focus on behaviours, actions and movements which are under our control and that are evidence-based to result in increases to confidence, self-acceptance and empowerment.

Weight Stigma and bias

There is a persistent myth in western society that it is possible to intentionally change the weight, shape and size of your body. You'll all have heard it:

"It's just calories in vs calories out".

Only it's not.

The fact is that our body weight is a result of biopsychosocial factors and whilst some people may find this works a dream for them, others struggle, suffer and struggle again. Perhaps it's biological factors that are against them, perhaps it's a myriad of pyschological reasons, or maybe it's something to do with their environment. It doesn't really matter, it's enough to know that the Foresight Report, commissioned by the government in 2007, found that there are over 100 intersecting, interacting factors which influence our weight.

Here at Spark we love to work from an evidence-based perspective and the evidence just doesn't say - despite what the instagram bros and babes purport - that using exercise as a means to manipuate our body's appearance either works, or is good for us.

In fact, the evidence tells a completely different story. Our cultural obsession with being smaller, thinner, leaner, is increasing weight bias and weight stigma. Weight bias is the belief that being 'fat' is not only bad but is something akin to a moral failing.  It paints people who live in larger bodies as being lazy, greedy and irresponsible and the stigma people experience from this perpetuates the drive for thinness, often at all costs. And the saddest part of this particular picture the research paints, is that fitness professionals often have the highest levels of weight bias. Not on purpose... of course! Like anyone in a caring profession, fitness coaches want to help people but there is such a dominant narrative in fitness that fat = bad and that exercise = weight loss, they internalise that belief and it takes awareness, education and intentional work, to undo it!

Well, does that matter? You may ask?

Yes... a lot. When someone has an internalised weight bias, they unknowingly behave in ways which promote weight stigma. They might assume that the person in front of them is there to lose weight, without ever asking. They might not understand how to adapt exercises to suit all bodies, not just the thin ones. They also might inadvertently talk about people who are in larger bodies as having failed, not recognising that anyone doing any form of exercise is quite literally winning!  The worst of it though is that the experience of weight stigma is recorded as one of the key barriers women face in exercising with others - the shame it causes leads us to avoid many health-promoting behaviours (like exericse) - whilst at the same time, weight stigma itself is also associated with poor physical and mental health.

And there we are back at health again.

Body Image

Which brings us to body image. Having a poor body image is not solved simply by losing weight. I mean, don't get me wrong everyone knows that great feeling of having achieved their aesthetic goal. But the reality is that doesn't really come from the weight loss does it? If we're really honest, it comes from the compliments you're now receiving, the way people are congratulating you, or the sense of achievement you gained from setting a goal and smashing it! The real shame is that all of this is volatile, because our body image bears aboslutely no relation to the way we actually look!  One harsh word, one odd look, one bad day can cause it all to come crashing down. But worse still, (and here's that word again) so much evidence seems to suggest that those women who are working towards goals focused solely on the manipulation of their body's aesthetics are more likely to have poor body image. In fact, even at the most elite levels of fitness, athletes in appearance-focused sports (such as body-building) on the whole have much worse body-image than those in function-focused. Our body image is incredibly important because when it's low, it's more likely to lead to anxiety, depression, low-self-esteem and disordered eating behaviours, amongst other things (none of which are good!).

Body So What?!

So we're a body positive studio right? Wrong! We are body nothing...

Body? So what?

Honestly... you have a body. It can do things. It can move and that can help you to feel good. It can take you places and you might even choose to change the way it looks.

But man... are you so much more than that!

We want to spark a movement 'movement'

Our space will always be one where we recognise that the association with movement and body size is not a simple one. That there are many reasons why people need a space away from the normative narrative around body weight, shape and size.

Ultimately, we take a weight-neutral approach because it's an evidence-based way to wellbeing and one which we know from experience leads to confidence, joy and an awesome community!

If you like the sound of our approach, why not join us? Have a nosey round our website to find out more about what we offer and drop us a message at [email protected] if you'd like to know more.

Just some of the evidence-base we mentioned:

  • Bevan, N., O'Brien, K. S., Lin, C. Y., Latner, J. D., Vandenberg, B., Jeanes, R., Puhl, R. M., Chen, I. H., Moss, S., & Rush, G. (2021). The Relationship between Weight Stigma, Physical Appearance Concerns, and Enjoyment and Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(19), 9957.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18199957
  • Cowley. E.S., & Schneider, J. (2025). “I sometimes feel like I can’t win: an exploratory mixed methods study of women’s body image and exercising in gym settings. PLoS ONE, 20(1). E0316756.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316756
  • Cox C. E. (2017). Role of Physical Activity for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance. Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association, 30(3), 157–160. https://doi.org/10.2337/ds17-0013
  • Dobersek, U., Jeffery, K. A., & Ekmekçi, R. (2018). Self-objectification in the fitness center environment: A qualitative perspective. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, 9(2), 54–72. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/psbd/issue/38077/322075
  • Fredrickson, B.L., & Roberts, T.A. (1997).  Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 173-206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108
  • Heitmann, B. L., Køster-Rasmussen, R., Meyer, L. B., Larsen, S. C., Thorsteinsdottir, F., Sandholdt, C. T., Bojsen-Møller, K. N., Overbeck, G., Waldorff, F. B., Kousgaard, M. B., Specht, I. O., & Dirksen, C. (2024). Debating Weight Loss vs. Weight Neutral Strategies for Improvements of Health. Current obesity reports, 13(4), 832–842. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-024-00587-8
  • Homan, K., McHugh, E., Wells, D., Watson, C., & King, C. (2012). The effect of viewing ultra-fit images on college women's body dissatisfaction. Body image, 9(1), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2011.07.006
  • Marks, R. J., De Foe, A., & Collett, J. (2020). The pursuit of wellness: Social media, body image and eating disorders. Children and Youth Services Review, 119, Article 105659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105659
  • Myre, M., Glenn, N. M., & Berry, T. R. (2022). Experiences of Size Inclusive Physical Activity Settings Among Women With Larger Bodies. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 94(2), 351–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2021.1983515
  • Panza, G. A., Armstrong, L. E., Taylor, B. A., Puhl, R. M., Livingston, J., & Pescatello, L. S. (2018). Weight bias among exercise and nutrition professionals: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 19(11), 1492-1503. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12743
  • Pickett, A.C., & Cunningham, G.B. (2017a). Physical activity for every-body: A model for managing weight stigma and creating body-inclusive spaces. Quest, 69(1), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2016.1145129
  • Pojednic, R., D'Arpino, E., Halliday, I., & Bantham, A. (2022). The Benefits of Physical Activity for People with Obesity, Independent of Weight Loss: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 4981. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19094981
  • Quittkat, H. L., Hartmann, A. S., Düsing, R., Buhlmann, U., & Vocks, S. (2019). Body Dissatisfaction, Importance of Appearance, and Body Appreciation in Men and Women Over the Lifespan. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 864. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00864
  • Ross, C. (2022). Fitness v fatness? Bodies, boundaries and bias in the gym. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 15(1), 104–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2022.2098808
  • Schneider, J., Tinoco, A., Selmes, R., Scott, B., Witcomb, G. L., Matheson, E. L., & Diedrichs, P. C. (2024). Understanding fitness professionals’ weight biases and uptake of weight-inclusive practices: Findings from a mixed-methods survey. Stigma and Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000567
  • Schvey, N. A., Sbrocco, T., Bakalar, J. L., Ress, R., Barmine, M., Gorlick, J., Pine, A., Stephens, M., & Tanofsky-Kraff, M. (2017). The experience of weight stigma among gym members with overweight and obesity. Stigma and Health, 2(4), 292–306. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000062
  • Strelan, P.,  Mehaffey, S.J., & Tiggemann, M. (2003). Brief report: self-objectification and esteem in young women: the mediating role of reasons for exercise. Sex Roles, 48(1), 89–95. DOI:10.1023/A:1022300930307
  • Tiggemann, M., & Kuring, J. K. (2004). The role of body objectification in disordered eating and depressed mood. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43(3), 299-311. https://doi.org/10.1348/0144665031752925
  • van den Berg, P., Thompson, J. K., Obremski-Brandon, K., & Coovert, M. (2002). The Tripartite Influence model of body image and eating disturbance: a covariance structure modeling investigation testing the mediational role of appearance comparison. Journal of psychosomatic research, 53(5), 1007–1020. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(02)00499-3
  • Vitality. (2024). Active women, healthy lives: understanding barriers to women’s participation in physical activity. https://www.vitality.co.uk/media-online/rn140696-women-in-sport-report-rgb-1124-v14.pdf
  • Weeldreyer, N.R., De Guzman, J.C., Paterson, C., Allen, J.D., Gaesser, G.A., & Angadi, S.S. (2025). Cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 59(5), 339–346. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108748
  • Zuest, L., Lee, S., Leedeman, J., & Clifford, D. E. (2022). Creating Weight-Inclusive Climates in Fitness Spaces. Kinesiology Review (Champaign, Ill.), 11(3), 251–260. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2021-0045