🏃♀️ Running with Curves: What I’ve Learned as a curvy Exercise Physiologist
It’s been a while since many of you have seen me in the studio.
If you’ve joined any.BODY in the last couple of years, you might not even know who I am — and that’s okay.
I’m Elle, the founder of any.BODY Studio. I started this space with one simple belief: movement heals. Not just the body — but the mind, too. Movement has carried me through some of the toughest seasons of my life, and I built any.BODY to give others that same experience — a space where every body feels safe to move, grow, and reconnect.
That philosophy comes from lived experience.
I wasn’t the sporty kid. I was the one who pretended to forget her swimmers on carnival day and avoided cross country runs at all costs. Movement wasn’t something that came naturally to me — it was something I discovered later in life, slowly, and with a lot of resistance.
Over the last ten years, my world has revolved around growing this studio, supporting my team, and creating programs that help others find strength and confidence in their bodies. It’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done — but also consuming.
So this year, I made a conscious choice to step back from the day-to-day in the studio.
I wanted to focus on my own health, my team’s growth, and running the business with clarity and intention — rather than constant urgency.
And in the space that’s opened up, I found myself looking for a new kind of personal challenge. Something that wasn’t about business growth or leadership — but about rediscovering what my own body could do.
That’s what led me, quite unexpectedly… to running.
From “I’m Not Built for Running” to 4 Kilometres
For most of my life, I genuinely believed my body wasn’t made for running.
I never understood why people did it — it always felt heavy, jolting, and uncomfortable. I’d look at runners on the path and think, why would anyone want to do that?
But this year, I realised that I’d spent a decade building others up, and I was ready to build something within myself again. I wanted to experience that beginner’s feeling of doing something hard — something that required patience and persistence, not perfection.
A few weeks ago, I ran my first ever consecutive 4 kilometres. It might not sound like much, but for me, it was huge. It represented years of unlearning old stories — that I wasn’t “built for it,” that I wasn’t athletic, that I couldn’t.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way — about running, mindset, and movement that heals.
1. Where You Run Matters Too
Find somewhere that feels safe and calm. Ideally flat, at least to start. For some of us that means getting in our car and driving somewhere.
For me, the river has become my anchor. It’s predictable, scenic, and quiet enough to hear my breath. Having a place that feels good to move in — even before you start running — makes it easier to return again and again.
2. Walking Counts
Before I could run, I had to walk. A lot.
Most of my early “runs” were just short jog intervals between walks — 30 seconds here, a minute there. It’s easy to think that doesn’t count, but it absolutely does. Building endurance means giving your body time to adapt. There’s no badge for suffering through something your body isn’t ready for. The goal is to keep going, not to prove something.
3. Strength Work is Non-Negotiable
Running feels heavy at first because your muscles and joints aren’t conditioned for the repetitive impact yet. The good news is that this gets better — but only if you support your body properly.
Strength training for your ankles, knees, hips, and glutes is key.
For me, doing lower-body strength and stability work has made running not only possible but actually enjoyable. It’s the reason I can move without feeling like I’m being rattled apart.
4. Consistency Beats Intensity
You’re far better off running once or twice a week for months than going hard for a fortnight and giving up for three. Progress in running (and in life) doesn’t come from big bursts — it comes from the quiet repetition of showing up.
If all you can manage this week is one 15-minute walk-run session, that’s perfect. Just do that again next week.
5. Use Your Rest
Learning to rest was one of the biggest lessons for me.
You don’t have to push into total discomfort to grow. When your body feels adequately challenged, slow to a walk, catch your breath, and stay mindful. Running mindfully — feeling your posture, your breath, your surroundings — has become one of my favourite moving meditations.
6. Music That Makes You Feel Alive
Music changes everything.
Find songs that lift you, remind you of your strength, or simply make you feel alive. I often start with slower beats to settle my rhythm, then build into something energising. The right song can carry you through the moments your mind wants to quit.
7. Warm Up — Don’t Skip It
Your body deserves an invitation into movement.
A 10-minute warm-up helps everything feel smoother. Mine usually includes hip stretches, ankle mobility drills, some light hopping, and leg swings.
If you’re unsure where to start, chat to one of our exercise physiologists at the studio — we love creating warm-up routines that make running (and walking!) feel better in your body.
8. Start Small, Celebrate Every Milestone
I still remember the day I jogged a consecutive 400 metres. It was the first time in my life that I’d run without stopping. At 37, having never been a runner, that tiny distance was a massive win.
Start there. Celebrate it. Every metre counts. Those micro-wins stack up quietly until one day, you realise you’ve run your first 4 kilometres — and actually enjoyed it.
9. The Psychology of Choosing Hard Things
This has probably been the biggest lesson of all.
So much of life’s difficulty comes from things we don’t get to choose — health issues, losses, stress, unpredictability. Running has reminded me how powerful it is to choose something challenging that I control.
When we deliberately lean into discomfort, we teach ourselves that we can handle hard things — not just physically, but emotionally.
Our world is designed for convenience, but our biology is designed for challenge. There’s a deep kind of peace that comes from doing something hard on purpose.
And it doesn’t have to be running.
Choosing your “hard thing” might look like:
Speaking up at work when your voice shakes.
Setting a boundary that protects your time.
Going somewhere new, even when you feel uncomfortable.
Not cancelling plans when you’d rather retreat.
Resilience isn’t built in comfort. It’s built in those moments you choose courage — again and again — until it becomes who you are.
In Closing
If you’re reading this thinking, “That’s not me — I could never run,” I get it. That was me too.
But I’ve learned that our bodies and minds are far more adaptable than we think.
You don’t need to start with a marathon — just start with a walk, a jog, a single lap.
Start small. Stay curious. Choose the hard things.
And remember — the goal isn’t perfection.
It’s participation.
—
With love and movement,
Elle x