This is what happy looks like for me.
Sweaty and smiling, because I love how strength training makes me feel, not because of how it might make me look.
I’m Dr. Lauren, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the founder of Loa Movement, and it was not always like this for me.
When Exercise Becomes About Burning Calories
In high school, I played competitive volleyball and trained one-on-one with a strength coach.
When I stopped playing, I remember him measuring my body fat percentage and telling me, “Now that you’re done playing sports, we can focus on getting this number a little lower.”
I was a people-pleasing teenager, so I did exactly what I thought I was supposed to do. I started counting calories, and I started treating exercise like a chore whose only job was to burn something off.
What Chasing That Number Cost Me
The number on my body fat percentage went down.
Everything else went down with it.
My mental health suffered. I lost my cycle. None of it felt like winning.
How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Exercise and Food
It took years to undo that. Years to rebuild a relationship with food and movement that actually felt good.
I got there, and it is so much better on this side.
What Strength Training Looks Like for Me Today
Today, I do not associate food with numbers. You will never catch me counting macros or grams of protein.
Exercise stopped being a punishment a long time ago and turned into one of my favorite parts of the day.
Now I lift weights, walk, hike and run because I love my body, not because I am trying to change it.
I look forward to my workouts. I laugh during my workouts.
Loa members get to see the dorky dance moves I do right after we finish filming, some of which end up in the class bloopers.
Strength Training for Women, Built Around How You Feel
That shift, from exercising to change my body to exercising because I love my body, changed everything about how I feel in my own skin. It is one of the main reasons I built Loa Movement.
Loa is online strength training for women who want that same shift. Not a program that treats your body like a project to fix, but a space where movement gets to feel joyful; sweat, smiles and all.
What a Loa Class Looks Like When It's Not About Your Body
Exercising because you love your body does not mean going easy. These are real strength workouts. What changes is what we pay attention to.
What You Can Expect Inside a Loa Class
Every class is led by a Doctor of Physical Therapy, with strength, mobility and breathwork built in.
Workouts are about 35 minutes, so they fit into a real day.
Modifications are part of the plan, never a sign that you are doing it wrong.
You learn to notice when a set feels challenging, and when it is time to go up in weight, instead of chasing a number.
Loa is built around getting stronger and moving well. What you want for your body beyond that is yours to decide, and you are welcome here whatever your goals are.
You work out alongside a community of women who cheer each other on.
The goal is movement that supports your real life and leaves you feeling better than when you started.
Ready to Try Strength Training That Feels Good?
If you want to feel what that looks like for yourself, our free Sampler Class Pack is a great place to start: three classes with me, no cost and no commitment required. → (try the free Sampler Class Pack here)