Welcome to How to Move!
I’m so glad you’re here. This is a fitness newsletter, but it’s a little different from a traditional newsletter and a little different from a traditional fitness product. Let’s talk about what to expect here and how to make the most of it.
HTM is a comprehensive guide to movement for people who want support, accountability, and guidance without toxic diet-culture nonsense. You can do the workouts if you like, read or listen to the other articles, and build a sustainable, positive movement practice that supports your wellbeing. It’s all written and created by me, Anna Maltby, a longtime health journalist, certified personal trainer, and mat Pilates instructor. More about me below and here, if you’re interested.
What to expect
On a typical week, I send one workout (the Workout of the Week, or WOW!) on Sundays: It’s a video to follow along with (usually 30ish minutes total, if you do the whole thing), and a written guide to the workout with little screenshots, in case you’d just like some ideas for exercises to try on your own. Nearly all my workout posts are behind a paywall. Find more details about how to approach and make the most out of the WOWs, farther down.
I also send one other issue — usually an interview, guide, or tip-based post — later in the week. Every once in a while I’ll send a third issue, but I try not to clog your inbox too much! Nearly all of these other posts are free. (A few are paywalled, but it’s not the norm.)
If you’d like, you’re very welcome to post a comment or read other folks’ comments on my posts. There’s also a group chat for paid subscribers in the Substack app! It’s a nice way to connect with other people in the community (everyone is so nice, I promise) or ask me a question that you think others might like to know the answer to as well. And on that note: Please do ask me questions! If you’re wondering something, I can almost guarantee you’re not the only one. More on how to best show up in this community, below.
If you become a founding member at $150/mo or more, you get a free “office hours” chat with me. But even if you aren’t a founding member, you can still access this benefit by paying a one-off fee.
Tech stuff
Each issue of the newsletter will come to your email inbox if you’ve opted in to that, but for many issues (including the WOWs) you’ll need to open the newsletter in either a web browser or the Substack app (iOS, Android) to view the content in full. In both cases, you’ll need to be signed in to Substack in order to view paywalled content. If you ever have an issue with video playback in the Substack app, I recommend deleting and then re-downloading the app.
Most of the interviews I share are best digested in audio format — they’re kind of like little podcast episodes! — and you can listen to those in the Substack app or in your favorite podcast player. Instructions for podcast app setup can be found here. I do post transcripts for audio interviews as well, but I don’t usually spend much time editing or cleaning them up, since I pour a lot of effort into the audio edition. (Sometimes I will just post a text-based interview, though, and those are a bit more polished than those audio transcripts, don’t worry.)
I also have an Instagram account, if you’re interested. But most of the good stuff is here on the newsletter.
Workouts of the Week (WOWs)
I try not to be overly prescriptive in terms of directing people to use the WOWs in a certain way, but I realize this can also get confusing — and a lot of folks just like to be told what they’re supposed to do. So here’s what I have in mind when building these workouts, but PLEASE know that if there’s some other way you’d like to approach them, that’s completely fine!
Strength training: True strength and progress are best built in an intentional way — following a progressive overload-based program that you repeat consistently, rather than just doing random workouts. So the first Sunday of every month, I send a strength training workout that is designed to be repeated. You can do it 2–3 times per week (or even once a week!) for the whole month, or for even longer if you’re really loving it and feel motivated to stick with it. As you get more comfortable with the movements, you can gradually add weight, or progress in other ways. (Think range of motion, number of reps, etc.)
Other strength workouts: I’ll usually send 2-ish other strength workouts within the month. The movements in these workouts are intended to complement the movements in the strength training workout, so you can hit a better variety of muscle groups and movement patterns. You can just do these other workouts as one-offs as they come in, or feel free to repeat them and mix and match as you like.
Mobility and Pilates: About once a month I’ll usually send out some kind of complementary workout, such as a mobility sequence or a Pilates class. These are really nice things to work in to your month, during rest days, when you’re feeling tired or sore, etc.
All of the workouts I’ve ever posted are also available to you at any time, on-demand.
A few things to keep in mind for the WOWs:
If you don’t want to do progressive overload, it’s fine! You can do the strength workouts as one-offs.
Tailor the workout. If you don’t have the time or energy for the whole thing, you can always skip the warmup or cooldown, or only do one or two rounds of the main circuit. Maybe you do some more of it later, or maybe that’s enough for you. It still “counts,” okay? (If you are using the strength training workouts in a progressive overload approach, I do recommend making time to warm up and cool down as you get into heavier weights, though.)
Rest or even just watch. If you need more or longer breaks than what I offer in the video, hit pause! And if you’re new to this stuff and just want to watch the video to get a sense of the vibe, what the movements might be like, etc., that’s fine and actually a very lovely first step to building a better relationship with exercise.
Adjust as needed, and don’t be afraid to ask for more options. I try to offer a couple of versions of each exercise so you can find an approach that works for you. If I missed something, feel free to mix things up on your own, even if you aren’t sure the exercise you’re swapping in is a “perfect” substitute for the exercise I’m doing. I just want you moving and feeling good. And please always let me know if you need an additional option! Comments, chat messages, and DMs are all very very welcome, or just respond to the email in your inbox.
On this note, as a thin and currently non-disabled person, there are probably going to be some exercises I’m going to very cluelessly throw out there that absolutely will not work for some of you. While I certainly don’t expect you to carry the emotional and mental burden of educating me, I will say that if you’re comfortable sharing with me when that happens, you are doing a real favor to the rest of this community in helping me continue to make my workouts as inclusive as they can be. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate a quick, “Hey, this doesn’t work for people with big bellies!” Gratefully noted!
Eat and hydrate. I’m not a dietitian, but I can share that making sure you have something in your belly before a workout — even just a few bites of something carby — and then refueling afterwards, especially with carbs and protein, can really help make your workouts feel as great as possible. And make sure to drink plenty of water, although small sips generally work better mid-workout than giant gulps.
Equipment
While I do occasionally present a no-equipment-required workout, I strongly (heh!) encourage you to acquire some basic strength training equipment. Lifting heavy is one of the best ways to build muscle, and to maintain muscle mass and bone mineral density as you age. And here’s where I give my disclosure that I do have a couple of affiliate links for equipment, but it’s all from Power Systems, whose products I actually used and recommended for years before I ever even thought about the affiliate thing. If you’re comfortable purchasing through these links, I’ll get a small kickback, which helps me continue to drive this project toward financial sustainability. (As a bonus, no Target or Amazon use required!)
You’ll definitely need a mat of some kind.
I really, really want you to get some dumbbells. Which weights to purchase is so individual, but if you can have at least a 5–7lb pair and like a 10–15lb pair, that’s a great starting point. (If a much lighter weight, like a 2- or 3-pounder, is better for you, get that!) I’m sorry-not-sorry to say that you may end up needing to purchase bigger ones later down the road. (Eek! I love when this happens, actually!)
If you aren’t feeling ready for dumbbells yet, I get it. You can do the exercises without them (even for things like bicep curls: just squeeze your biceps really hard at the top of the exercise). But please try to get some if and when you start feeling more confident in the movements!
Sometimes I’ll do a workout that involves optional resistance bands. I really like loop bands, and it’s nice to have some tube bands with handles as well. These are also fantastic to pack in your suitcase if you’re traveling and can be good substitutes for dumbbells for some exercises if needed.
If you have a condition that makes it unwise or unsafe to lift heavy, please adjust as needed.
Figuring out how heavy to lift can be tricky. If you have time, I highly recommend listening to this 14-minute little voice memo on this. It’s great food for thought.
How heavy do you really need to lift?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of failure lately — not in life or work (as my beloved colleague Dana G. Smith used to say during our weekly Covid-era team Zoom checkins, “I’m fine, it’s fine, everything is fine!!!”), but in the gym.
About me
I’ve been writing and editing about health and fitness for my entire career, since my very first major magazine internship at Men’s Health 19 years ago (!). I’ve held editorial positions at Marie Claire, SELF, Refinery29, Real Simple, and others. I became a certified personal trainer back in 2015, and have since earned specialty certifications in functional training, prenatal and postpartum exercise, and mat Pilates.
In addition to writing How to Move, I also freelance (mostly for The New York Times’ Well section), train clients, and teach Pilates, both on Zoom and IRL. I’m also the founder of Pilates for Abortion Funds, a monthly fundraiser class I launched after the Dobbs decision and which has raised more than $40,000 for abortion funds. One of my proudest projects was serving as fitness and editorial director for Nike (M)ove Like a Mother, the company’s first-ever comprehensive prenatal and postpartum guidance program. You can find it under “Programs” in the Nike Training Club app.
I live in Brooklyn with my husband, two children, and two cats, who sometimes have very cute cameo appearances in my videos.
Community agreements
Should you choose to post a comment or participate in the HTM chat, remember that you are part of a community. We are all here to support our (and each other’s!) wellbeing, and for many of us that involves divesting from diet culture and aesthetics-focused training. Please read and adhere to these community agreements when commenting or chatting:
This is an anti-diet space. The way you choose to eat is completely your business, but please do not discuss your diet, or weight-loss-focused diets in general. These discussions can be really difficult and even dangerous for some people to see.
This is a body-neutral space. Please don’t share body-shaming comments about others or yourself. It’s completely fine and lovely to feel great about how you look, but celebrating aesthetics should be done elsewhere. No before and after photos, please.
We’re all at different places in our movement journeys. What felt like a really crappy set of squats to you may feel like a far-off goal for someone else. Be sensitive when discussing what you did well or not-so-well.
If you’re exercising for aesthetic reasons and/or because you are pursuing intentional weight loss, you are still extremely welcome here! Just know that there are many folks in this community who are in recovery from disordered relationships with food and exercise, and I expect you to be part of the effort to keep everyone safe.
Medical stuff
How to Move is not meant to be considered medical advice, a treatment plan, or even individual guidance on things like pain and injuries. This is a general guide to movement for informational purposes, and you should always consult your doctor to make sure that exercise, and especially strength training, is appropriate for you (especially if you have a known medical condition or are pregnant or breastfeeding). If you have an injury, I highly recommend seeking treatment from a qualified physical therapist and asking lots of questions about what kinds of exercises are best to support your rehabilitation. I am a certified personal trainer and mat Pilates instructor, and while I do my best to make sure my workouts are as safe and inclusive as possible, I am not a medical provider.
All exercise programs carry some risk of injury, such as sprains, fractures, and even concussions, among other things. Your participation here is at your own risk, and I am not liable for injuries, accidents, or other problems that may result from engaging in my workouts. If you ever experience sudden pain or symptoms like dizziness, fainting, or abnormally rapid breathing or heart rate (outside of the usual good exercise breathlessness) during a workout, please stop and take a break. Seek medical attention if the symptoms persist.
Okay!
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions, concerns, or special requests. Let’s get moving!
