Finally like what you see in the mirror.
Learn to embrace who you are, as you are while building your forever active lifestyle. Start here.
Learn to embrace who you are, as you are while building your forever active lifestyle. Start here.
Hey there, this is Daryl Perry with Your Level Fitness, and I want to tell you a bit about my story, my philosophy, and why I’m so passionate about an approach to fitness that starts from the inside out.
When it comes to making any lasting changes, whether that’s with food, exercise, or the relationship we have with ourselves “they’re all tied together”, the only approach I’ve found that really works is starting from the inside out.
Here’s the thing: It’s incredibly easy to get trapped in a mental prison of sorts, worrying about what we eat, how often we work out, and fixating on what we don’t like about our bodies. But when you look at this as an inside out journey, that prison starts to disappear.
This inside out approach is more than just a way to eat or work out. It’s about building a strong, self-supportive foundation. You focus on the relationship you have with yourself first and work outward from there.
I’ve come to believe that showing up consistently over time is essential, but it’s not about being perfect every day.
Life happens. There are days, even months or years, where things shift and you can’t be fully dedicated. That’s fine! I’m living proof that you don’t have to have it all figured out every day to build something lasting. My story has had its fair share of stops and starts, and yet, here I am. The consistency isn’t in daily perfection; it’s in the cumulative effort over years.
I often say that I don’t like how the fitness industry markets itself. This industry is built on insecurities, making billions off the idea that if you don’t look a certain way or follow a specific program, you’re somehow less worthy. The reality? It’s a MASSIVE industry, and much of that comes from pushing products, diets, and looks that keep people in a constant state of “not enough.” I want to turn that upside down.
What if, instead, you worked on your relationship with yourself first? What if, rather than looking to external diets and workouts to “fix” something in you, you decided that building a positive, resilient self-image was step one? That’s the inside-out approach, and it’s how we sidestep the mental prison so many people find themselves in.
I don’t just talk about this stuff—I live it. I have Cerebral Palsy, which affects the majority of my body, so I don’t have the “ideal” look that’s often pushed in fitness. Growing up, I chased the look that the magazines promised would make me feel better about myself. And guess what? It didn’t work. I got lean, then bulked up, but I was never fully happy with how I looked because it wasn’t about the look—it was about my thought process. I don’t want anyone else to go through that.
I was a quiet kid who loved food, and by third grade, I was already “husky,” as they used to say back in the '80s. That’s when I first became aware of my weight, and it’s also when my journey with fitness really began. I had an orthopedic doctor who introduced me to strength training, and that changed everything. Exercise became a place where I felt confident and capable—a feeling I want everyone to experience with their own fitness process.
Professionally, I’ve been in the fitness industry since my last year in college. From working in gyms, leading group fitness, and coaching one-on-one, I’ve done it all. I’ve worked with clients on every kind of eating plan. What I’ve learned from coaching over the years is that everyone’s path is unique, and everyone needs to find what works for them, not what works for an industry that thrives on a one-size-fits-all approach.
In my 40s now, after many years working in both fitness and corporate marketing, I’ve come to a place where I want to contribute to the industry in a different way. I’m not just here to be another fitness professional; I’m here to build something that helps people untangle the confusion and negativity around fitness. There’s more to health than just changing how we look. How we look at it means so much more.
And for those who follow my content, whether through Your Level Fitness or my podcasts, it’s about one clear message: fitness “and life” is an inside-out process. It’s about building a sustainable, active lifestyle that doesn’t rely on strict discipline or willpower but grows naturally from a positive self-relationship. It’s about showing up consistently—not perfectly—and learning to see your fitness journey as part of a larger journey of self-acceptance and growth.
