"My body can do magical things": the movement experiences of a man categorized as obese - a phenomenological study

Abstract

From a medical perspective, exercise and physical activity are valuable tools for losing weight, through an increase in energy expenditure. However, beyond this instrumental value, physical activity has meaning for the person experiencing it. Among individuals categorized as obese, that meaning is often problematic. The aim of this paper is to produce essential knowledge about one young mans embodied experiences of practicing martial art. Through a phenomenological analysis of research material concerning the young man’s passionate relationship to martial arts, we identify ways in which someone who has a body often regarded negatively, might still derive great pleasure from his movement experiences.