When our beauty and wellness team pitched a special guide to modern fitness, we knew we wanted to look at it from an ELLE point of view—exploring (with equal parts scientific rigor and a sense of humor) how the gym has evolved into a third place, where culture, health, fashion, bodies, and beauty meet. We call the package Working It Out, and it includes reports on the buzziest fitness trends, our editors’ personal favorite workouts, and an essay from Anna Maltby, founder of my favorite fitness Substack, How to Move. Optimization culture has raised the bar so high for our workouts and our bodies, she argues, that a lot of us are just giving up. Below, read her advice on what you actually have to do to stay strong and feel great in your body—it’s likely less complicated, and more fun, than you think.
—Sara Austin, executive editor
