You don’t need transforming

Street Art in Gym Garden Hackney Wick
Street Art Hackney Wick
battle ropes classes
group fitness outdoor gym
yoga studio east london

You don’t need transforming

By Rhian Cowburn (Studio Founder)

Ever been promised a total transformation by your gym?  Been shown ‘before and after’ shots of the amazing new body you could have? Bribed with schemes where you pay upfront and get your money back if you lose enough weight?

Repeatedly we are told; ‘you are not good enough’. Gyms and brands create an unrealistic ideal of how you are supposed to look and then sell you the ‘answer’; a cycle of false promises, inevitable disappointment and a feeling of failing. 

If any of the above sounds familiar, let me reassure you: you are not failing at fitness, the fitness industry is failing you.

We need to remind ourselves of the important distinction between how you look and being fit. Being fit is being able to run for a bus, carry your babies one on each hip, lift your shopping, dance all night long…  At Strong + Bendy we deliver great classes that positively impact your physical and mental health. How you look in your underwear, frankly, is none of our business!

So many of our members have become not just customers but close friends. Far from needing transforming, these are wonderful people who’ve brought their kindness, generosity, humour and enthusiasm into our lives every day. The concept of judging them based on weight, body fat, dress size is unthinkable.

When you visit Strong + Bendy you’ll find stunning floor to ceiling portraits of some of our most loyal members. This is our peaceful protest against an industry that so often tears people down rather than celebrating them. 

At Strong + Bendy it’s our job to make you feel good, how you look is the happy accident that will follow.

You do not need transforming. You are good enough. See in you class!