Big-hearted fitness instructor creates workout for all shapes and sizes

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Bevin Branlandingham has a big heart full of big ideas to change they way people move, for the better.

She created "Fat Kid Dance Party" a few years back for all shapes and sizes to feel good about exercise.

"Everybody deserves to have joyful movement. I'm starting a fitness revolution, where instead of focusing on weight loss or needing people to change their bodies in order to want to workout and move, I'm encouraging people to just show up and have fun and not worry about results," said Branlandingham.

"It makes me feel free. It makes me feel good in my body," said Kate McCracken of Los Angeles.

Growing up, she was bullied due to her weight, so she made it her mission to reclaim the word "fat" and take the power away. Brandlandingham became a party promoter in New York City then came back to L.A. and got hooked on dance aerobics.

The idea is a class that actually has very few rules at all except for have a great time learn to sing it out learn to move a little bit and don't be hard on yourself.

"The first rule, there's no wrong way to do Fat Kid Dance Party. We cheer for awkward. Because a lot of people's comfort zone is the couch and hiding," Branlandingham said.

There is no hiding at the Plus Bus in Glassell Park where she holds the workout. She also teaches at Everybody Gym, and is developing taking her class on tour plus producing an exercise video.

She's helping people like McCracken feel good about fitness. "Not only are there people whose bodies don't look like I see in magazines or on TV moving around but also Bevin was breaking down how to do everything I wanted to do in middle school, junior high," McCracken said.

Put on your comfy clothes and leave your ego at home. A drop-in class is $12.