Bodyful Episode #11: The Non-Diet-Trainer Barb Puzanovova on Joyful Movement

by Valerie Martin

Spoiler alert: Diet Culture (along with its co-conspirators The Patriarchy and White Supremacy) is THE WOOOORST.

And even though it may be called “diet" culture, this term has come to represent a tangled, shitty web of harmful systems that impact not just our relationship with food, but also our relationship with our bodies, movement, and how much privilege (or lack thereof) we carry in our day-to-day lives.

For the majority of people who were raised in that overculture, “exercise” was something to be dreaded— an entirely unpleasant (even punishing) experience intended to whittle away fat (which was determined to be disgusting and unacceptable), and carve sharp, angular edges.

But there is a new generation of fitness leaders heading the charge to both dismantle diet culture and revolutionize our relationship with movement. One of them is badass Nashville-based personal trainer Barb Puzanovova, who is on a mission to bring the JOY back to training and fitness.

In this episode with Barb, we dig into the harm caused by diet culture, how to reclaim bodily autonomy in regards to movement, and why the conversation around privilege and body size in our society is complicated.

Here’s the truth: Thin doesn’t equal healthy, fat doesn’t equal unhealthy, exercise doesn’t have to be about weight loss, and most importantly, health is context-dependent. There is no one-size-fits-all... both literally and metaphorically.

Barb’s body of work is all about redefining and cultivating joyful movement, and she reminds us that we don’t have to force ourselves to do exercises we hate…and yes, you will hear me proclaim on this episode that I may never do another single burpee again 😂. There are no rules to exercise (walking counts! bouncing around and prancing through the park counts! stretching counts!)— and tapping into pleasure with movement creates a much more powerful experience that can help you become more bodyful in your WHOLE life.

This episode with Barb will empower you and give you a giant permission slip to move in a way that feels good, and I can’t wait for you to listen!

Barb offers training sessions virtually, and her schedule opens up again in late January if you’d like to work with her!

To listen to the episode, stream from the podcast player below, or search & subscribe to Bodyful on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

About Barb Puzanovova, CPT (she/her)

Barb Puzanovova, aka The Non-Diet Trainer, is a Health at Every Size (HAES), weight-neutral, and inclusive ACE-certified Personal Trainer, Behavior Change Specialist, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Due to her own story of recovering from an eating disorder, she empowers people to step off the scale and into their life so they can move their body with less rules and more joy.

Links + Additional Resources:

• Barb on Instagram: @nondiet_trainer

• Check out her Joyful Movement Program

• Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Lindo Bacon

• Poodle Science video by the Association for Size Diversity and Health