Kim Stacey, founder of Body Image Fitness, chats about the fitness industry, body image, and creating a gym that rejects diet culture
When it comes to the fitness industry, body image is often treated like a scoreboard. If you don’t look a certain way, you’re doing it “wrong.” Kim Stacey knows this all too well. Before opening Body Image Fitness in Heaton, she spent years letting her own insecurities dictate her path.
And she’s not the only one. Millions of people are navigating a world where diet culture and the obsession with appearance make movement feel like punishment, not joy. Gyms, social media, and “wellness” trends often reinforce that your body is the problem to fix. This leaves many exhausted, anxious, or simply avoiding fitness altogether. It was this culture that Kim confronted head-on during lockdown, rethinking her relationship with exercise and realising that fitness should be about how it makes you feel, not how you look.
In 2021, she became a qualified fitness instructor and started teaching online. Today, Body Image Fitness challenges the damaging norms of the fitness industry, creating a welcoming, non-intimidating space where movement is celebrated for confidence, strength, and wellbeing. Not appearance.
Body Image Fitness is all about inclusivity. What inspired you to create a space that challenges traditional fitness norms?
After discovering how harmful diet culture and the fitness industry’s all-or-nothing approach can be, I realised how deeply it had affected. It made me unwell. Out of that frustration came a passion to help others never feel “not good enough” to do fitness, or anything else they damn well please!
Body Image Fitness emphasises a weight-neutral approach. What does that mean in practice for someone stepping into your gym for the first time?
It means we don’t focus on weight, and we don’t judge someone’s health or ability based on how they look or how much they weigh. And we never do before-and-afters, because we are worth so much more than that. We treat everyone equally and encourage people to take part in the movement for joy, mental health, confidence, and all the other benefits that aren’t about intentional weight loss. We celebrate all bodies.
Traditional gyms often focus on aesthetics and weight loss. How does your gym redefine success in fitness?
When weight loss and appearance aren’t the focus, people stop constantly judging and monitoring their bodies. This reduces shame and pressure – major contributors to poor body image. By shifting the focus to how the body feels and functions, including strength, energy, confidence, and enjoyment of movement, people build respect and trust in their bodies rather than seeing them as problems to fix.
Removing weight as a measure of success also creates more achievable “wins,” supporting confidence and self-worth. Movement becomes an act of care, not punishment and that’s what genuinely improves body image.
With so many gyms around, how does yours stand out?
With so many gyms focused on weight loss and appearance, Body Image Fitness stands out by doing the opposite. We prioritise how people feel, not how they look, and create a genuinely inclusive, non-judgemental space where everyone is welcome, regardless of size, ability, experience, or confidence level.
Our classes are small, supportive, and intentionally designed to remove “gymtimidation.” We offer a wide range of sessions, including strength training, boxfit, ballet, body pump, yoga, pilates, and mobility, alongside neurodiverse-friendly sessions and body image support.
Every class is coached with care, adaptability, and encouragement at the centre. What really sets us apart is that we’re not just a gym, we’re a community. We focus on confidence, strength, and long-term wellbeing, helping people build a healthier relationship with movement and their bodies, not just tick off workouts.
Tell me a little bit about the process of opening Body Image Fitness, has it been smooth sailing, or were there any challenges you faced?
Mostly smooth sailing. A few days after moving in, there was a slight issue with the ceiling, which meant we had to close our doors for a week. Other than that, it has been amazing, we just keep growing and taking up space.
In a society that often equates fitness with appearance, how do you encourage people to focus on how movement makes them feel, rather than how it changes their bodies?
We do this by changing both the language and the environment around movement. We don’t talk about burning calories, earning food, or changing bodies. Instead, we celebrate things like feeling stronger, more energised, less anxious, and more confident in everyday life.
In our sessions, we constantly bring attention back to internal cues – how your body feels, what pace works for you, and what you need that day. Progress is measured by comfort, confidence, consistency, and enjoyment, not aesthetics.
By creating a space where people are never weighed, compared, or judged, movement stops being about fixing the body and becomes something supportive and empowering. Over time, people naturally reconnect with their bodies and learn to trust how movement makes them feel, which is far more sustainable than chasing appearance-based results.
How do you maintain your own wellbeing while managing a business and everything in between?
I’m not going to lie – it is hard. I struggle a lot with anxiety, and I do feel the pressure as the business grows (though there’s also plenty of adrenaline and excitement). But I’m managing little pockets of time for myself. Now, I’m able to teach more during the hours that align with my energy, leaving evenings and weekends free for downtime and family. That certainly helps.
In your opinion, is there such a thing as a healthy balance between the ‘grind’ culture and wellbeing?
I think balance is possible, but only when wellbeing comes first. The problem with ‘grind’ culture is that it often glorifies burnout, ignores rest, and treats bodies as machines rather than humans. A healthy balance recognises that effort can be meaningful, but it isn’t constant.
There are seasons where we can push ourselves and seasons where rest, recovery, and compassion matter more. At Body Image Fitness, we encourage people to listen to their bodies, adapt when needed, and understand that slowing down or taking a break isn’t failure, it’s part of sustainable wellbeing. True health isn’t about doing the most or pushing the hardest; it’s about creating routines that support both physical and mental health long-term.
What would you say to those who are a little intimidated to come to Body Image Fitness?
Just step foot in our studio, and you will feel immediately at ease. The bright, colourful weights, artwork, posters, and fun vibes make you realise this place is different, and that we are all about fun, joy, and silliness.
How can people support you and your business?
Word of mouth is the best form of marketing – share our posts and follow us on social media; talk about us to your friends and family. If we sound like your kind of space, come and give one of our classes a go – pretty much all classes are available PAYG.