The fitness industry isn’t always kind to bigger people. Until recently, companies making products and services to help you enjoy movement weren’t thinking about inclusivity. That’s changing, though for every brand that embraces its larger customers, there’s one that doesn’t meet its potential, like the Nike-backed body-inclusive fitness platform Joyn, which shuttered last year. The end of Joyn brings us a new platform: Joyful Inclusive Movement, a.k.a. JIM.
Like Joyn, JIM is an inclusive platform that wants to help people find joy in movement. You’ll find a diverse selection of fat, LGBTQ, POC, and disabled instructors leading various classes, some of which moved to JIM when Joyn shut down. The classes themselves run the spectrum from lower to higher impact. Just getting started? Try a 5-minute short-standing flex & flow. Want to crank things up? Fire up 20 minutes of kickboxing movements.
The folks at JIM understand that getting started can be tricky, and they’ve created an in-depth signup process that better understands your ability level and gives you options based on your answers. There’s something for everyone, even if you’ve had negative experiences with fitness in the past.
Once you sign up, you’ll get recommendations for where to start. My results recommended beginning at level 3, which is medium to higher impact. I found videos on body movement, pilates, and squats at that level that were fun and challenging.
The instructors are friendly and conversational, offering direction that is easy to follow. The JIM platform lets you filter by the instructor, among other options, so if you find someone you like, you can easily see all of their videos. New videos are being added weekly.
Community and connection are a big part of JIM’s plans. Members can join monthly community calls to ask questions, learn about new and upcoming videos, and hear from other users. According to JIM co-founder Wendy Welsher, live classes and a community forum are on the roadmap for later in the year.
JIM recently launched in Beta so that you can try the platform for yourself for free. If you like it and want to continue after the beta, sign up for a membership. Annual memberships run $199 annually or $19 per month, or you can become a founding member and get a lifetime membership for $399. Lifetime members get early access to new features and a JIM member t-shirt.
EXCLUSIVE: Get in on Joyful Inclusive Movement for yourself with $50 off an annual JIM membership with code chubstr50. Sign up here.
