Your Body Isn't Broken. It's Just Misunderstood.

John Withinshaw
Apr 24
2 min read

Let’s get one thing straight: your body is a freakin’ marvel. It can run, jump, bend, twist, climb, carry, and yes—even survive the absolute chaos of the ‘80s and ‘90s without Wi-Fi or avocado toast. It’s a machine. A glorious, weird, scarred-up machine with a manual nobody ever gave you.

Collage of retro store logos: Abbey National, Gateway, Tandy, Tammy Girl, Etam, Blockbuster, C&A, Bejam. Various colors and styles.

And sure, it's got a few dents—some literal, some metaphorical. You’ve probably got a knee that clicks when it’s cold, a back that files complaints if you sneeze wrong, and a metabolism that’s given its two weeks' notice. Welcome to midlife, where every scar tells a story and every hangover tells you you’re not 22 anymore.

At JDW Fitness, we see all kinds walk through the doors. People who want to "lose a few Kilos," "tone up," "shed some fat"—all code for “I want to feel good in my own skin again without becoming a prisoner of salad.” And that’s cool. Truly. The desire to move better and live longer isn’t vanity—it’s wisdom with mileage.

But here’s where the wheels fall off for a lot of folks: they treat exercise like punishment.

They think their body is some kind of delinquent teenager that needs to be grounded with burpees and scolded with treadmill sprints. “I ate cake, better do ten assault bike sprints to atone.” No. Just... no.

This “exercise as penance” mindset? It’s toxic. It kills motivation faster than internet by modem killed patience. You burn out, you check out, and eventually, you swear off movement altogether because it’s become a form of self-loathing instead of self-respect.

Let’s change that.

Your body isn’t the enemy. It’s the ride. Start treating it like a performance car, not a banger.

Working with your body instead of against it changes the game. Find the kind of movement that makes you feel alive, not the kind that makes you want to fake a hamstring injury.

Love walking? Walk like you're in an ‘80s music video montage. Like swimming? Go full mermaid. Got a thing for cycling, hiking, yoga, Zumba, or interpretive dance in your kitchen? Knock yourself out. The best kind of exercise is the one you actually do. Repeatedly. Joyfully. On purpose.

And yeah, some of us (raises hand) do love a proper gym smash session—sled pushes, long runs, heavy lifts, sweat angels on the floor. That’s our bag. But if box jumps make you consider witness protection, don’t f*@kin' do them.

Instead: