Redefining Fitness & Empowering Movement ft. Candace Liger

In this episode, Jenn is joined by Candace Liger—fitness coach, activist, founder of The Center for Body Autonomy and Co-Director of Trauma Informed Weight Lifting. Candace shares how movement can serve as a powerful tool for healing, resistance, and liberation. Drawing from her personal history, including a family legacy of muscular dystrophy and early experiences with sport and embodiment, Candace shares how fitness became both a protective measure and a portal for deeper transformation. Together, they explore the concept of “taking up space” as a radical and healing act, especially for those historically marginalized or silenced, and how weightlifting can offer a consensual way to engage with stress, power, and resilience. Candace discusses how traditional fitness culture often centers aesthetics and strict requirements, while trauma-informed weightlifting invites self-trust, consent, and emotional presence. They speak about the often-overlooked grief that can accompany physical transformation and the importance of authenticity, both for clients and trainers. This conversation is a deep exploration of how movement spaces can shift from performative and exhaustive to liberatory and relationship-driven—and how asking what freedom feels like in the body can be a transformative question for us all. ✨Go to traumainformedweightlifting.com or follow on IG: @centerforbody @traumainformedweightlifting to learn more about Candace and Trauma Informed Weight Lifting! 💙INTERESTED IN TRAUMA INFORMED WEIGHT LIFTING?💙 We have 15 hour foundational trainings happening online every month! Our Foundations Training program is the place to start to learn more about TIWL. It’s our online course that takes 15 hrs. to complete and 1.5 NASM CEU's available! Looking for even more? Our 8-week Certification Program begins in September! Head to tiwl.org to learn more! 🧡INTERESTED IN TRAUMA SENSITIVE YOGA?🧡 We have 20-hour foundational trainings happening all year round, and all over the world! Go to traumasensitiveyoga.com to learn more, and to sign up for our 300-Hour Certification program in September ( Approved for 26.5 CECs for social workers with ASWB and as a 300-hour training with Yoga Alliance. ) go to traumasensitiveyoga.com/certification ⭐️Be sure to check out healwithcfte.org/podcast for more information about the show, and your host Jenn Turner, LMHC. and Follow us on instagram instagram.com/ontraumaandpower @ontraumaandpower to stay updated on future episodes! 🩵On Trauma and Power with Jenn Turner, LMHC is produced by the Center For Trauma and Embodiment. To learn more about CFTE, head to healwithcfte.org ________________________________________________________ Copyright Credit: Center For Trauma and Embodiment 2025