Jennifer
Dec. 2021
1. WHAT DID LIFE LOOK LIKE BEFORE YOU FOCUSED ON CONSISTENCY ON NUTRITION AND FITNESS?
I moved to this area a few years ago for a new teaching position. While growing up, I was physically active. I took dance, was a cheerleader, was on a dance team, and played sports. During my adult life, I taught dance for 10 years. I went to the traditional gym, took in-person fitness classes, and worked out with a personal trainer. All of that ended when I moved to this area. I felt I needed to devote all my energy into my new job and working out wasn’t a big priority in my life.
2. What made you decide to make a change?
Eventually, I knew I needed to get active again and needed to make a lifestyle change. My weight was starting to creep up, my clothes weren’t fitting as well as they used to, and my doctor was a little concerned about my weight gain. Also, my parents and sister were working out at a gym. I knew it was time to get active again. However, I was overwhelmed on how and where to get started. There were so many different gyms to choose from. I decided to join The Warehouse because it was close to my work at the time. The Warehouse has great music, instructors and a variety of classes that really made it fun for me to attend. There was a schedule which made it easy for me to plan my week around it, and stick to it. The classes also provided me with everything I was looking for in a gym and covered all areas of my body. The classes made me feel comfortable modifying the workouts and doing only what my body could do. When classes moved online because of Covid, I was teaching from home. All I needed to do then was to just show up which kept me motivated. With the online zoom option, I feel I attend more classes since it’s just a click away
3. What has changed (attitude, energy, weight, habits, priorities, race times, blood work, confidence, etc.?)
The biggest change for me is that I feel good about myself. I am more active than I used to be and look forward to working out in the evenings. Evenings have been a good time for me to transition from work at home into workout mode. I do try my best to take a few classes to make up for my loss of movement during the day. I feel with the zoom options I definitely make working out a priority. I ask myself “what is your excuse?”. I could be sitting at home on the couch watching TV OR I could be working out. It’s not hard to open the computer and take a class. I also like that even when I visit my parents in Rochester I can still take a class. Wherever there is a computer and internet access, I can workout. That I like!