About AMple Movement

Ample Movement is a community and business aimed at changing the narrative around bodies, movement, exercise and outdoor representation. It started as a weight neutral hiking group for folks who felt excluded in more traditional outdoor groups and now includes yoga classes and other outdoor activities. Andrea and the group's focus is on joyful movement for folks in larger bodies, like herself, folks in the LGBTQ+ community, Black, Indigenous, People of color and people with disabilities. 
A non diet place for movement and living in the body you have right now. Let's change our society and make everyone feel worthy no matter their body type or representation.  We are here to make a brave space to hike, do yoga, bike, swim, kayak and any other adventures we can dream up. 
 Everyone is welcome to join our adventures and yoga classes.
​The group is actively anti-racist and works towards anti-oppression, equity and inclusion in all spaces we take up. We are also imperfect and always learning. 

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ABOUT founder, ANDREA DIMAIO

Hi, I'm Andrea(she/her/hers). I am a fat, white, queer, ciswoman. In 2015 an accident began a slow transition into the way I saw my own body and others in marginalized bodies. In 2017 I started Ample Movement as a local hiking group for people who didn't see themselves in other hiking groups. I have expanded that into other forms of movement as well as getting my yoga teacher certification so that I can offer yoga to these same marginalized communities. Yoga played a big part in my personal body acceptance journey and I wanted to share it with others. I consider myself an adventure seeker and a social justice activist looking to learn and end all forms of oppression and to work towards liberation for all. 
 
In March 2019 I hiked Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa with the Curvy Kili Crew (CKC) and WHOA Travel. The CKC is a group of 20 plus size people who attempted to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on International Women's Day. Doing that trek really changed my life and I recognized even more the need for community and the representation of fat folx doing adventure travel. Because of this trip, WHOA Travel decided to start WHOA+ and I was hired to be a GAL (group adventure leader) for these plus sized trips. I went to Peru to hike the Salkantay Trail with WHOA+ in July of 2019 and I will be returning to Peru in July of 2022 to lead another group of plus size women along the incredibly beautiful Salkantay trail and then in September of 2022 I'll lead a group in Iceland. (Go check out www.whoatravel.com/whoa-plus for info on those trips).

YOGA
I am a yoga instructor with my 200 hour level teacher training through The Himalayan Institute of Buffalo (2019) and am currently enrolled in my 300 hour teacher training, The Path to Yoga, Justice and Equity with Dianne Bondy. I am also a Yoga For All certified instructor and an Accessible Yoga Ambassador.  

Andrea makes sure that all of her classes are accessible. She truly welcomes all levels and all bodies. If you can't stand or aren't very flexible, these classes are for you. If you're very flexible and fat, these classes are for you. If you are breathing...these classes are for you. If a pose doesn't work for you, she will find a variation that does, or an alternative pose that is similar. 
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​Andrea and Ample Movement are also part of the "body positive fitness finder" by SuperFit Hero. 

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               In October 2019 I received my Wilderness First Aid certification through National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). 

Andrea on her way up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Photo taken by WHOA Travel

Andrea on a winter hike with her husky, Rammu.

The purpose of Ample Movement is to provide a place of inclusivity and to try and diversify the outdoors. I know you might say, "everyone is welcome in the outdoors", and I agree that the woods, mountains and trails do not discriminate. However, there is a certain type of identity that is seen more often in the outdoors and we want to diversify! Although absolutely everyone is welcome on hour hikes and adventures, we want to make this a safe space where people in larger bodies, Black, Indigenous,  People of color and our LGBTQ+ members feel not only welcome but invited, included and at home. If you are all about this movement of inclusivity, join us!

Come adventure with us!

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