Discussing Body Positivity with Morit Summers
Morit Summers is an inspiring, strong, and beautiful body-inclusive trainer. Working as a personal trainer since 2007, she has been defying fitness industry standards with her abilities and inclusive approach. In 2016, she launched her own business, Morit Summers Personal Training, she is also co-founder and owner of Form Fitness Brooklyn, est. 2018.
Clients range from individuals just beginning their fitness journey to seasoned athletes. Continue reading my interview with Morit to learn more about her journey and how she is impacting lives daily.
NMFit: How did you get started in this industry?
Morit Summers (MS): I started working out at the age of 14 because I wanted to lose weight and fit in. Through the years I found a true love for fitness. When I got to college I decided to pursue Kinesiology and became a personal trainer.
“This is when I realized that my body is capable of so much more and started lifting weights in a different way”
NMFit: In a society where a client’s goal is most likely to lose weight how do you determine they are the right client for you?
MS: We get a lot of people that say they want to lose weight, I strongly believe in opening up a conversation. I want to discover what does losing weight mean to them, what does that look like for that person? After figuring out the “why” many people realize that they should just start with movement. They should start to feel better and stronger.
A lot of the time people forget about their original goal because they are in a better place. If however, someone is hell-bent on the scale then I am not the right trainer and this is not the right place for them. We don’t have a scale! Sometimes you do need to lose weight for your health but there has to be a conversation around that, it just can’t just be because you “think” that’s what your goal is.
NMFit: Have you found that you were your own first client?
MS: In a way, I was my first client because I always thought I had to lose weight in order to be a fitness professional. I was told by many people I wouldn’t succeed because of my size. I found my capability within my body and the number on the scale didn’t really matter.
“I found my capability within my body and the number on the scale didn’t really matter”
During the pandemic I had gained a lot of weight, I felt like my body wasn’t my own. I didn’t focus on weight loss I focused on getting back into a better groove and I feel like my body is my own again. Sometimes people think they need to lose weight because that is what everyone is telling them. If we can focus on movement and get stronger sometimes weight comes off but that is not the focus.
NMFit: How would you advise clients to connect their mind and body?
MS: You just need to start. Take a walk around the block for 2 minutes or 5 minutes you just need to get up because once you start doing that you might even go further. Think about how much stronger you just got because it’s immediately going to connect you to your body.
In the fitness industry, everyone thinks that fitness is working out really hard and sweating because that is the visual that we get when in reality the day-to-day is different. It is being able to carry your laundry, lift your kids without pain or carry your groceries up the stairs.
NMFit: You are creating a more inclusive environment in fitness, in what other ways are you pushing the envelope?
I just wrote a book! It’s called Big & Bold: Strength Training For The Plus-Size Woman (Human Kinetics). I wanted to create something that allowed me to represent the plus-size woman. My book helps women switch their focus from the numbers on the scale to the incredible things their bodies are capable of.
I am also working with a fitness a free fitness app called Boostcamp. Through this opportunity, I am using my body to represent while creating programs that are simple and attainable. I want to put myself in all the buckets so that people can find me.
For more information on Morit, you can follow her on IG @MoritSummers
Website: Morit Summers Personal Training