"There’s nothing better than a beginner,” says Kirsty Godso, celebrity fitness trainer, entrepreneur, and creator. “It’s the best place to be because it can only get better,” she muses from her home in LA. I’m speaking to her over Zoom, and am confronted not with a person trying to commodify our insecurities to sell  fitness, but instead with an individual who genuinely cares and takes into account the whole person. The whole package. Oftentimes, all we see on social media are examples of the “perfect” body, accompanied by the message that the unique nature and intricacies of our bodies deem our current bodies inferior and even undesirable.

Always working towards an unattainable goal, burnout is bound to happen and the art of movement is diminished.

Godso, fitness trainer of Kaia Gerber, Maddie Ziegler, and Hailey Bieber to name a few, believes that there is a definitive yet fine line between discipline, committed training, and taking things to a level that lacks any sort of inner fulfillment.

Having risen to fame as a trainer with various brands, Godso is now on a more independent journey, after founding fitness platform PYRO and protein company Made Of, and most recently becoming a collaborator with clothing label Vuori. “When you get women feeling strong, they feel amazing. And then you feel like you look good because you feel amazing. You feel it and you see it,” she says. According to Godso, the physical aesthetic we all yearn for can be achieved in a more mentally healthy way if we enjoy the process itself. No restrictions, no self-bullying, and no all-or-nothing mentality.

Growing up in New Zealand, Godso had the privilege of experiencing exercise and fitness as a way of simply living, not through forced, unfulfilling visits to the gym. With not much else to do in the “boutique” sized country of New Zealand, working out and staying fit are parts of everyday life, with fitness centers being sanctuaries and the world outside being nature’s gym.

“Everyone’s very active just by nature of living there,” Godso explains to me. “It’s not something performative. It’s not something you really think about. Just people are fit.” Godso has carried this mindset, where moving one’s body is just a part of life, throughout her entire career. From curating workout videos based on trends of what people actually like, to her partnership with Vuori, every choice she makes is based on the foundational belief that working out should be fun, fulfilling, and meaningful. 

Following a path of true wellness and fitness does not disregard the mental part of health, and is also a path that is different for everyone. No two bodies are the same. Godso even goes as far as to say that she usually tries to avoid responding to questions about her own personal weekly workout routines, so as to avoid having others trying to copy a routine that is designed for one person, one kind of body. “I think what’s difficult with fitness is to sort of remove yourself from all the projections of what you see online and really be able to tap into what feels good in [your] body.” I joke that it sounds like we all need to get off our phones more, and Godso laughs, but agrees with full seriousness.

Godso is an earnest believer in the power of integrating movement into our everyday lives—and encourages us to start somewhere as simple as going on a 10-minute walk, or thinking intentionally about the clothes we decide to wear while working out. Recently, there have been a rise in fitness fashion trends that prioritize aesthetics over comfort and photogenic material over more breathable fabrics. Of course, looking cute should never be out of the question; in fact, feeling beautiful while moving your body is empowering and motivating. But how can you feel good in your body, if you’re not feeling good in the clothes you’re in?

‍Godso’s partnership with Vuori comes at a time when it’s extremely rare to find workout fits that don’t feel like they are a symbolization of torture in the gym and comparisons with other bodies. Godso tells me that she started noticing Vuori’s clothing because of her client Kaia Gerber. “[Kaia] was the one who really got me into Vuori because she kept coming into the gym in these really cute outfits,” she explains. Godso explains how excited she was when she discovered Vuori’s variety of cuts and colors, with focus not on looks but on action. “I never want to be distracted when I work out. I don’t want to be fidgeting with my clothes,” she says pragmatically. “I don’t want to be uncomfortable in my clothing.”

Just like her Kiwi-rooted philosophy that movement is simply a way of life, her Vuori partnership is driven by the belief that fitness clothes should be worn to work out, but also to go about your day before and after with a smooth transition. “It doesn’t just feel like I’m walking around in gym gear,” she explains.

Incorporating movement within our daily life is an art, a science that toes the line between hard work, commitment, and joy. Expectations surround us constantly, and women especially deal with the pressure of obtaining the “perfect body,” which is bound to suck the joy out of fitness. 

Having a more open mind when it comes to working out, moving our bodies in ways that make us feel good, and simply being more gentle on ourselves may not be trendy, but the result is a confident glow, and a healthy future. Godso’s final bit of advice? “You will never stress your way to your best body. And you will never over-restrict yourself into your best body.You might get an amazing-looking body, but if you don’t like the body you see because your head space isn’t there, what is it all for? And I’ve been there myself.” So, be kind to yourself, get moving, and don’t worry about only being at the starting line. Because we’ve all been there.

Photographed by Andi Elloway

Styled by Jai Simmons

Written by Linsday Bettencourt

Hair: Carolina Pizarro

Makeup: Barbara Lamelza

Stylist Assistant: Sydney De Vere

Production Assistant: Ameen Kher

Location: The Pierside Santa Monica

‍