Episode 39Feb 11, 2026· 4:38
Why Joy Is the Most Underrated Weight Loss Strategy
About this episode
What if the reason your workouts aren't working has nothing to do with how hard you're pushing and everything to do with how little you're enjoying it? Certified Zumba and fitness instructor Gail Lazarus breaks down why joy might be the missing piece in your fitness routine and how one simple mindset shift can turn "I should exercise" into "I get to move today."
In this episode, Gail shares how she's spent over…
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Full transcript
00:00
Yeah, if you're not having fun, you're probably
00:02
not going to stick with working out. What's up,
00:09
you guys? Famous Ashley Garrett here. Welcome
00:10
to More Movement, Please, the podcast where I
00:12
hope to inspire you to move your body more. Today,
00:14
I have another awesome voice note to share with
00:16
you. This one comes to us from Gail Lazarus.
00:21
She is a certified Zumba and fitness instructor,
00:23
and here's what she's got to say. Joy. Yep. Joy
00:29
is the most underrated weight loss strategy there
00:32
is. When movement feels good, you are far more
00:34
likely to stick with it than if you are driven
00:37
by guilt or obligation. Consistency matters far
00:40
more than intensity as we get older. Now I know,
00:43
finding joy in movement isn't always easy. If
00:46
it were, everyone would be exercising. And if
00:49
you're discouraged or never liked it, start small.
00:52
Try something gentle or experiment with different
00:55
ways to move. And try adding music. It can be
00:58
a powerful game changer. Uplifting, encouraging
01:01
music can boost your mood and make exercise feel
01:04
easier, helping you stick with it over time.
01:07
It can literally put some pep in your step. I've
01:11
watched clients shift from I know I should exercise
01:13
too. I get to move today. And that mindset shift
01:17
is often where lasting change begins. I'm Gail
01:20
Lazarus, Certified Chair One Zumba and LaBlast
01:23
Fitness Instructor. And for over nine years,
01:26
I've helped women build sustainable routines
01:28
by making movement energizing, accessible, and
01:32
over time, genuinely joyful. I got to say, I
01:35
completely agree with Gail. If you're not having
01:37
fun, you're not going to keep moving. You're
01:38
not going to keep going and working out. So that
01:42
is the big reason that I chose group fitness
01:44
over a lot of the other options that were available
01:46
to me. I've talked about this before and I'll
01:48
say it again. I really love the group fitness
01:50
aspect because that's what is that that's what's
01:52
so much fun for me. I absolutely love working
01:55
out with other people being in the same room
01:56
as we're all working towards the same goals.
01:59
And the other thing that I absolutely love about
02:02
the group fitness classes that I chose is my
02:04
instructor plays the best music. Like I sometimes
02:08
will have. the songs that she uses in my head
02:10
for days. And I just absolutely love the energy
02:13
that it brings to the workouts. There is something
02:16
so powerful about having really good music that
02:20
is just pumping through the speakers as you are
02:22
trying to work out and get in shape. So if you're
02:25
not enjoying where it is you're working out or
02:28
how you're working out. Kind of just take a step
02:30
back and examine what you're doing, what you're
02:33
experiencing, how you're feeling. Because I think
02:35
what you'll find is there are ways that you can
02:38
bring some fun and some joy to every single exercise
02:41
that you do. And even if it hurts, like you could
02:45
still be enjoying yourself. Like you can be in
02:47
pain and still having fun. And the results that
02:51
you will get for it are just so worth it. So
02:54
I highly recommend if you're not enjoying how
02:56
you're working out. Examine how you're working
02:58
out. Take a look at what you're doing and try
03:00
to find some way to put some joy back into your
03:03
movement. That's what I've got for you today.
03:04
I hope you enjoyed this quick episode. If you
03:07
would like to leave a voice note that will be
03:08
used in a future episode, check out the links
03:11
in the show notes. And I will also put them at
03:13
samasashagrant .com slash fitness. I would love
03:16
to hear from you guys. If you are a fitness instructor,
03:19
a personal trainer, a registered dietitian, nutritionist.
03:22
whatever. I would love to hear all of your tips
03:24
that you have to share about getting in shape
03:26
and losing weight and getting fit and all the
03:28
good things without challenges, without all the
03:30
crap that people are trying to cram down our
03:32
throats. I want the real, raw, authentic stuff
03:34
about how to do this the right way. And if you
03:38
want to share your fitness journey and tell me
03:39
all about... what you're going through as you're
03:42
trying to get in shape, I want to hear from you
03:43
too. So go to famousashleygrant .com slash fitness
03:46
and there'll be two links there. One is going
03:48
to be for the people that want to offer tips
03:50
and tricks. And one is if you want to share your
03:53
fitness journey with me, I would love to root
03:56
you on and let's just all be there for each other,
03:59
right? I want us all to just get in shape and
04:02
live our best and healthiest lives. Onwards and
04:04
upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?
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