How the Fitness Industry Uses Military-Inspired Disassociation to Fuel a Harmful Body Culture

Modern fitness culture starts with the underlying assumption that there is something wrong with who you are and that the remedy is to pursue an idealized body. In this pursuit, the fitness industry often relies on U.S. military-inspired disassociation to create a culture of extreme discipline, self-criticism, and relentless physical transformation.

Understanding and Healing Trauma Through Movement

Trauma is a complex experience that leaves lasting imprints on both the mind and body, affecting how we move, think, and engage with the world. It's not just a psychological phenomenon; it's deeply embodied. When we experience trauma, our bodies store the emotional and physical impact in our tissues, muscles, and nervous system. Trauma is more than an event; it's an ongoing process that can trap our bodies in states of hyperarousal or shutdown. This can lead to chronic pain, stored tension, emotional numbness, and dysregulation. These effects disrupt our ability to move freely, think clearly, and feel safe, hindering our capacity to learn, grow, and connect with others.

Unapologetic Bodies and Radical Self-Love

In the All Out Effort community, we strive to connect deeply with our bodies, environments, and each other. This journey often reveals how societal conditioning shapes our movements, behaviors, and interactions. One of the most pervasive influences is body shame—a powerful force that restricts our physical expressions while overriding our executive functions with survival mechanisms, such as the fight-flight-freeze-fawn response. To foster ease and fluidity in movement, we must unlearn shame.