I enjoyed this book for what it was and it fits into a genre that I really enjoy. However I didn’t necessarily feel like it added much to that genre. Overall, a good way to pass the time.

This is much more than a motivational fitness guide, its also a memoir and a manifesto. This book explores intersectionality and accessibility in the fitness industry, including fatphobia. There's personal but also universal themes explored and it would be useful for younger woman to read before society brainwashes them into thinking they are not beautiful/thin/pretty enough.

I have really loved the recent empowerment of women through sport, especially in areas that have been so previously male-dominated like weight-lifting. I think this is a fantastic book recommendation for women in your life who are interested in fitness!

I have never read a book like this and I adored it. I read Poorna’s previous book which gave me a lot of the background. As someone who doesn’t exercise for a lot of the reasons given I found this and her inspirational.

Poorna is a powerlifter, she is now able to lift twice her bodyweight!
I have followed her online for quite a long time: after losing her husband, Poorna found her confidence again by turning to powerlifting.

Society, family, external stereotypes and factors make women scared to be ‘strong’. As many survey suggest, many women still don’t go to the gym and/or exercise because they are self-conscious or scared not to be good enough.

Poorna brilliantly analyses the relationship between mental and physical strength, by telling her own story, especially as a Brown woman with and Indian heritage, but also reporting the experiences of other women.

I truly enjoyed the book and I recommend it to everyone. Lifting weights has made me feel better, but I also have had comments like ‘it will make you big and bulky’ or ‘it is not feminine enough’.

Whatever sport or type of exercise you enjoy ladies, it will make you feel better. It is time to smash the stereotypes and appreciate your body as a temple.
Exercise has helped me through loss, pain and lack of confidence.

Never before have I identified with a book blurb more strongly than when I read that of Poorna Bell’s Stronger.

For context, when I am not reading I can be found in the gym training for Olympic Weightlifting occasionally I do both at the same time and then I get told off by my coach 😂

Part manifesto, part memoir this is a book I wish everyone could read whether they engage in exercise currently or not. Her personal story of how she came to find powerlifting is incredibly inspiring and shows her strength of character.

However the information contained which attempts to redefine what it means to be strong is what had me shouting about this book 💪🏻

Bell sets out to break down those barriers many face when it comes to enjoying exercise. She tackles diet culture, sexism, culture, racism, eating disorders, disabilities, mental health, ageism and the menopause.

I particularly feel this book would be of huge benefit to those also already working within the fitness industry, there are a huge amount of people who don’t feel comfortable entering a gym due to those barriers, that are missing out on the huge physical, social and mental benefits exercise can provide when the focus is just to lose weight and seen as a form of punishment. How often have you heard “No Pain No Gain”. Changing the perceived culture within gyms and the narrative around exercise in general is crucial to make it more inclusive for many.

Weightlifting has literally changed my life and my wish is that everybody could find that same feeling that I have every time I pick up a barbell.

Stronger is out tomorrow (29th April) and I cannot recommend this book enough!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early review copy. I didn’t know what to expect of this book as I’m not a weight lifter! But it’s thorough and engaging look at why women and girls find sport and exercise so difficult and what can be done. A great read.

This is such a fantastic book and much needed.

Poorna talks about the barriers preventing women of all ages, sizes and abilities from getting physically strong.

The book is in-depth has Poorna’s own personal experiences interspersed with women’s loved experiences.

It’s an inspirational book but also talks about the practical side of how women can also get involved and work past negative stereotypes to get physically fit.

Poorna shares the many initiatives and organisations that are working to tackle barriers and get people involved in fitness and sports.

I’d highly recommend this book.

<i>"How many of us have thought that fitness, physical activity or sport wasn't for us because we didn't look like how we thought a fit person should"</i>

An empowering book that would be a good read for people looking for inspiration to get back in to fitness and moving their body, however it is that you choose to do so. It's well researched with survey results from 1000 women, other well known ladies (including Bryony Gordon and Fearne Cotton) as well as information from other data research, Poorna Bell also draws on her own life and experiences to inspire other women.

I enjoy Poorna Bell's writing style - it is easy to read however there was just something lacking in this book, it was a bit disjointed and occasionally felt like it was jumping from one subject or person to another with no flow.

I think if you are already someone that partakes in exercise already this may not be for you as is is very much an encouraging collection of stories and stats to get you started and develop your strength.

<b>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review</b>

Well researched, with a combination of survey results and personal experiences of the author,this book addresses all of the factors to womxn's physical "strength".
Looking at weight/power lifting, gyms, swimming, marathons, yoga and every form of exercise and how womxn participate and the relationship between females and strength.
I admire Poorna Bell from her appearances on several podcasts to her previous books and social media posts. I've been a member of the See My Strong Instagram page since its inception and thoroughly enjoy the content that encourages and promotes womxn to find their strength and pursue weight training and other forms of strength building.
I found it a really inspiring read and one that, rather than being preachy or confrontational, just discussed openly the author's experiences of fitness, wellness and also presenting the opinions & experiences of others.

Women aren’t supposed to be physically strong. It’s a message that’s communicated in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But Poorna Bell’s having none of it. Stronger’s an uncompromising look at the joy of moving your body, what stops women from doing physical activity and the link between physical and mental health.

Bell makes the case for women defining what strength means to them by sharing her transformation from (in her words) “runt” to competitive amateur powerlifter, after her husband’s death. She also weaves in findings from her research into what helps and hinders women when it comes to fitness.

I loved the fact that Stronger includes the perspectives of women who are older, black, brown, fat, LGBTQI+ or have a mental health problem or disability. Because they’re voices that are usually silenced or ignored when it comes to exercise and sport.

That said, the tales of everyday misogyny and discrimination are appalling. (The one where a young boy punched a young girl because he couldn’t handle the fact that she was better at football than he was made my blood boil.) But these horrendous incidents are balanced by stories of women and girls who have, and are, achieving brilliant things in spite of the odds and the haters.

Poorna Bell - Stronger
After her husband’s sudden death, Poorna Bell has spent the subsequent years finding out what it means to be strong for a woman - mentally, physically and emotionally. This book tells the story of her journey as she speaks to many women’ as well as sharing her own journey of strength.
Emotional, heart breaking and heart warming, this book made me think about my life and my daughters’ too.
Thank you Poorna for sharing and thank you NetGalley for my copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book.

Stronger is a story about womens strength in all its forms. It is wonderfully written by an incredible author and is packed full of empowering stories and references.

The author Poorna Bell, is honest and authentic, speaking about issues sensitively and with her whole heart. I loved the fact she checked her own privilege and encouraged the reader to do so.

Poorna is also incredibly inclusive in her writing. She talks about her own barriers into sports and empathises with others about theirs. I loved how she was able to weave in science to back up her points, but managed to do this in a totally non off putting way.

I have honestly never felt so empowered after reading a book, and I will be encouraging all my friends to read this. Thank you Poorna!

Stronger is a heartfelt treatment of womxn's relationship to health, fitness and their bodies. Using her own experience of strength training as the jumping off point, Bell's exploration is considerate, inclusive and empowering. Her early discussion of the all-too-relatable narrative of girls becoming disaffected from sport and uncomfortable in their bodies as young teenagers was particularly affecting and a story I haven't seen talked about in such depth before. Bell passes the mic in those chapters where she is discussing a topic of which she doesn't have personal experience: pregnancy, motherhood and menopause. The interviews she integrates in these sections contribute some useful insight. I would suggest that I found the overall argument of the book to be a little repetitive. That said, it would be very easy to consume each essay as a somewhat standalone essay and read as such they are very powerful.