Movement Snacks: A Re-introduction and a request
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Hey Reader, It's been awhile since I've introduced myself. It feels silly in some ways because I started this newsletter in 2007, mostly from folks who took yoga classes with me at the YMCA in Silver Spring (if you're one of those OG newsletter subscribers -- HI!!!! Thanks for being with me for so long. I'd love to hear from you, so please say "hi" and respond to this email). On the other hand, a lot has changed in 19 years. So here goes: Hi, I'm Naomi! I started teaching yoga back in 2005 and have continued to teach yoga ever since. Over the years, things have shifted for me. In 2013, I gave birth to my first child and a year later, I started strength training via HIIT classes because I still felt weak and unstable postpartum and I wanted to be strong. I kept teaching yoga, slowly incorporating some of what I learned about strength training into my classes. In 2016, my 2nd child was born and my husband joined the Air Force. We left the DC area for Texas and then New Mexico and then Florida, all in the space of 2 years. In 2018, I (mostly) stopped teaching in person and opened my online studio, MOVE -- because when you're moving every few years, it's tough to get studio jobs. In 2019, I gave birth to my 3rd and last baby (who turns 7 in 10 days!). While I continued to do HIIT and some other strength training since 2014, I got serious about strength training after my 3rd kiddo was born. I realized that my body rebounded better after each pregnancy, in part because I was stronger, thanks to lifting weights. Most recently, I also found my way back to dance and take 3 dance classes each week, which makes my heart and my body very happy. Now in 2026, I not only teach strength training in addition to yoga, but I also write about the evidence based benefits of strength training and debunk the vast amount of health and fitness information on the internet, largely due to the rise of social media influencers monetizing wellness. From a teaching perspective, my goal is to make movement more accessible and more enjoyable. I'm also not interested in the diet culture version of fitness and movement, which suggests the primary goal of exercise is weight loss/weight management or trying to be smaller. That means my classes are body neutral (if you want an idea of what that looks like in my classes, you can read about it here). A little more about me: So that's me, right now. I'd love to know more about you, if you're willing to share! Just respond to this email and tell me a few things about you that you feel comfortable sharing! And I also have a small request: I am looking to create content that truly supports you on my YouTube channel. β It's my largest free resource for all things movement. I currently share full length videos twice a month and short videos 3 times a week. In the past, most of my full length videos have been movement practices that you can follow along to, with an occasional "how-to" video. My shorter videos are typically less instructional and more for "edu-tainment" in that I am sharing ideas and facts about movement, usually how it intersects with perimenopause. Sometimes these videos are meant as encouragement and inspiration, but not emulation. Up until recently, most of my videos were yoga-focused and mom-focused, but in the past year I've shifted my focus to strength training in midlife. This reflects my personal shift toward building strength now, but also as my retirement plan. I want my body to be strong and resilient as I age. I want to remain independent for as long as I can and have an overall better quality of life in my last decade or 2 of living. Strength training doesn't guarantee this. Nothing can. But it can weight the scales. This doesn't mean I no longer teach yoga or that I think yoga isn't beneficial. I love yoga and still teach it. But my goal is to help women get stronger now and continue to be strong through their 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. So my primary focus is on strength training. Anyway, I'd love to know what you'd like to see more of on my YouTube channel. Do you want practices you can do along with me? Do you want how-to videos for particular exercises that troubleshoot issues that have come up for you or stopped you from doing something? What would best support you in getting your body moving more often? I'd love to hear from you, so please respond to this email to let me know! Here's a little taste of 2 different practices I created by request: One of my YouTube subscribers said she always loved classes I shared when I was doing yoga or working out with my kids, so I made a new video with my youngest: Another subscriber requested a video troubleshooting knee pain in squats, so I created this tutorial: Thanks for being a part of my community this year. I am so grateful for you. Warmly, Naomi Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways: Follow me on Instagram, where I share movement inspiration 3x a week as acts of resistance, connection, and strength. βFollow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, perimenopause, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substacks. There are many ways to support my writing on substack, which focuses on women's health and motherhood during perimenopause through an anti-diet and pro-science lens: π Become a free subscriber |