Wondering how to move more? Whether you’re trying Couch to 5K, going for a swim, or even just getting out for a walk, these activities help to lift your mood, boost your energy and help to make everyday activities a little easier.
According to the NHS website, at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity is recommended each week, or alternatively 20-30 minutes a day, to stay fit and healthy.
We can easily put off exercise but often forget how good it can make us feel. If you feel like you don’t know where to start when it comes to exercise or haven’t yet found a form of exercise you enjoy yet, then load up Instagram and follow this lady right here (well just below). Caroline Shaw, or as she is more known to her nearly 8700 following on @danceyertitsoff, is a fitness trainer determined to take the fear out of fitness by promoting adaptive exercise.
@danceyertitsoff rocking a strong girls club t-shirt
Adapting exercise for YOU!
You can guess Cas’s infectiously positive personality just from her Instagram bio. Cas takes the fear out of fitness and throws on some bright red lippy to do just that!
“Its all about adapting. I want to get people moving”!
Cas, Fitness Instructor
The Brighton based fitness instructor has been working in the fitness industry for over 20 years. She has worked with the NHS on obesity programmes as a specialist and been involved with Brighton Pebbles who support families with disabled children and young people in Brighton and Hove.
The very fun and bubbly Cas
Cas wants everyone to feel that energy you get from physical activity and be open to our own way of moving and adapting to find what works for us as individuals.
“Whatever makes you feel good, find that and keep doing it“.
Cas doesn’t take herself too seriously and her big smile, funky glasses, red lipstick and fake tan showcase her bright, silly and loveable personality. If you could have anyone motivating and encouraging you throughout your workout you would want it to be Caroline.
She has ran 7 marathons! Yes that’s right 7! And when we had our little chat she was ready to quickly set off after and head to a friend’s yoga session. She gives it all a go. Try before you say no. Give it a chance, go to that session or class you’ve heard about and see what you think. If you like it, it’s a bonus and you can go again. If you didn’t like it, it’s an excuse to find another fun trendy fitness class to pop along to.
An indescribable energy radiates from Cas and with her ‘you can do anything if you adapt it for you’ attitude there is no reason why this blonde, bubbly Instagrammer won’t get you up and moving.
Fitness after diagnosis
It has been 5 years since Caroline was told the words no one ever wants to hear, “you’ve got breast cancer”.
Cas recalled being told that gentle exercise was the way forward. “Fuck that” said the 54-year-old fitness instructor! Lets run, lets do circuits, lets cycle, lets dance! Now taking post-cancer drugs and going through the menopause, Cas wanted to find fun different ways to stay active.
The red-lippy dancing Instagram star loves to challenge herself and, with a fitness background, does not shy away from stepping up to a physical challenge. In 2019, Cas was part of CoppaFeel‘s CoppaTrek and trekked in The Himalayas. CoppaFeel is a breast cancer awareness charity that promote checking your breasts and chests for as early a diagnosis as possible.
It was on the CoppaTrek that Cas made some fantastic life-long friends by sharing their stories and bonding over the physical challenge. You will recognise Nadia from Loose Women who is now great friends with the fun, blonde fitness instructor. They both supported their online communities through lockdown with their Instagram live sessions.
@danceyertitsoff live with Nadia Sawalha
Dance Yer Tits Off joins Instagram
Rewind to 2020, lockdown hit us and we could no longer get our usual fitness fix from gyms or group classes so we were all a little bit stuck. Group classes can help many of us with motivation and accountability so to lose that suddenly made exercise a little harder.
Cas posted her first Instagram post in April 2020 where she introduced her 80s style aerobic home workouts that would be available live twice a week. The live classes were 20 minutes long and would get you moving with some good old fashioned 80s aerobic moves. She offered high and low impact options and simply wanted to encourage her followers to have 20 minutes of fun for the mind and body.
“If you move the mind, the body will follow”.
Mental health and wellbeing was affected hugely in the pandemic. These short 20 minute classes and chit-chats offered both physical health and mental benefits to those watching and involved. Looking after our mind is just as important as looking after our body and often the physical activity and that feel good energy that it brings helps to lift our mood and give us a real boost for the day.
Fast forward to 2022, and 2 years later Caroline has over 8.6k followers on the social media platform who want to be a part of the dance yer tits off community. Cas’s infectious and positive perspective on physical movement has led to this large following who still join in with the live online classes that are accessible. Cas is getting everyone moving and feeling damn good doing it, creating a better relationship with exercise for the long-term. “It’s about exercising because you love your body, not because you hate it”.
We’ve got to learn to ditch the idea of what our bodies should look like to be able to exercise freely, get involved, and feel that electric energy we get from working up a little sweat. It’s just an added bonus that Cas can get us all moving from the comfort of our kitchen or living room.
“Every body is a bikini body”.
54-year-old Caroline
Say it louder for the people at the back Cas! Every body is a bikini body. Put that flipping bikini on. Cas’s mission is to dispell the idea of a ‘bikini body’ and encourage others to learn to love exercise for the benefits it has. “We need to get away from image as a way of life“.
Both Cas and Nadia Sawalha still go live with their chit-chat and and fitness sessions and are always joining in with silly dance trends with other friends including Hannah and Helen, known as @realhouseofhannah and @thetittygritty on Instagram.
Cas is honest and loves keeping fit and exercising. She sprinkles that love for moving her body all over her social media account and encourages us to make our exercise that little more fun. Whether we throw on the red lippy and fake tan to feel good doing it or have our own favourite slogan-tee to dance around in, the Brighton based fitness instructor has got her 8.6k following to move a little more and they’ve definitely reaped the benefits.
Caroline, the fun fitness instructor you need to follow
If you don’t already follow Cas, I would guess you’re searching right now for this fab, feel-good account that shows the fun side of fitness in abundance. So why not try moving more in your own way, find what works for you and makes you feel good.
Don’t fear fitness, adapt it for you.
