Moving Through Grief: How Exercise and Community Helped Me Heal

Grief changes you. It shakes the ground beneath your feet and leaves you wondering how to stand again. When my mum passed away after her battle with cancer, I felt that deep emptiness — the kind that makes the days blur together and the smallest tasks feel heavy.

But what I found in those first few weeks was that moving my body — even gently — became my lifeline. Exercise gave me something solid to hold onto when everything else felt uncertain. It wasn’t about fitness goals or energy levels. It was about breathing again, one step, one class, one song at a time.

At Freedom Fitness, I was surrounded by women who didn’t need explanations. They showed up beside me — sometimes with words, sometimes with hugs, sometimes just with presence. That community held me up in ways I didn’t even realise I needed. Together, we sweated, stretched, danced, and released emotions that words couldn’t carry.

Exercise became my therapy. It gave me space to cry, to smile, to feel strong again. The music, the rhythm, and the movement reminded me of joy — even in sadness. It helped me honour my mum’s spirit, who always encouraged me to live fully, to find light, and to keep moving forward.

If you’re going through grief, know this: movement can heal. It won’t erase the pain, but it can help you find your way through it. And when you do it surrounded by a community that truly cares, you realise that strength isn’t about lifting weights — it’s about letting others lift you when you need it most.

Because sometimes, freedom isn’t about fitness. It’s about finding peace in the movement and love in the people who move beside you.