Cheryl & Kim
March 2022
1. Cheryl’s Narrative
It seems like wherever I’ve lived belonged to a fitness center. At first it was to have a place to do cardio indoors and maybe lift some weights. Now it’s all about group fitness classes. Having a class on my calendar keeps me on track. Some days I need that appointment to make sure I exercise. Classes challenge me to try new things whether it is a new class format or a more challenging way to do an exercise.
I moved to Rosemount in the fall of 2020. Last spring, as things started to reopen, I knew I needed to get back into attending in person classes and I started looking for a fitness center. I did some research, found The Warehouse, and made an appointment to check it out. My sister Kim was visiting from Wisconsin and she went along to see the Warehouse. We were both impressed by the positive energy and friendly atmosphere. After my first class I knew this was the place!
The Warehouse instructors are friendly and welcoming. I really appreciate that the Instructors provide options and encourage you to work at your level. The Warehouse approach is focused on improving your personal fitness level and achieving your goals, not competing with someone else.
I exercise for all the usual reasons; stay fit, reduce stress, because it feels good, etc. But I’ve also learned that exercising and moving everyday are important . If I skip a few days, I start feeling a bit creaky and sore. I realized that moving was the key to feeling good. As I get older, I think more about recovery and the role exercise and movement plays in avoiding injuries.
I recently completed Egoscue training with Melissa. Egoscue intrigued me as a way to improve posture, increase mobility, and prevent injuries. I noticed that Egoscue has similarities to moves from yoga and Pilates. It is gentle and subtle but I can feel it working.
This fall I had some PT for my shoulder. I didn’t have to stop going to classes or Egoscue sessions while in PT because everything was easy to modify. I was excited to learn that many of the shoulder exercises at class were similar to what the PT assigned and all I needed to do was make some slight modifications.
My sister Kim and I have shared an interest in exercise and fitness for a very long time. We share our latest fitness adventures, whether it’s getting out to snowshoe or trying a new class. She’s a great motivator and she has encouraged me to try new things (triathlon). When we are together we try to work out together. We’ve done 5Ks, a half marathon and triathlons together. She takes classes at The Warehouse when she’s in town. I work out at her fitness club when I visit her. We show each other what new things we’ve learned. We were teammates for the Get Fit with a Friend and worked out together on Zoom and in person.
Favorite Class – Hard to say. It depends on the day
Favorite song – the deep dives into the ‘80s make me laugh. When I was in school I used “Rio” by Duran Duran to help me remember something for a test. When I hear it in class it cracks me up.
2. Kim’s Narrative
Working out has been a part of my life for a very long time. It has filled my life with great challenges and friends. I have always challenged myself to do better. Through participating in events like 5k, half marathons and sprint triathlons I have formed great friendships. One of the best friendships is with my sister Cheryl.
My working out, I believe it started in elementary school with the goal of getting the Presidential Physical Fitness Badge. Not sure if they still have this in schools, but you had to do a 50 yard dash and a 600 yard run, shuttle run, broad jump ,sit ups and for the girls a bent arm hang.
I would practice running, jumping and doing sit ups and push ups at home after school. I would do the sit ups and push ups when we were watching TV during commercial breaks. I never could hold the bent arm hang long enough to get the badge. ( I now think I should have practiced that on the monkey bars) But by doing these workouts I created for myself I saw great improvement in my performance and I felt better about myself.
This continued on throughout my life. I have continued to workout.
These workouts evolved through the years, because of meeting people who were interested in doing the similar activities and having similar goals. The best thing was the support and encouragement we would give each other. We would make sure everyone on the long run made it back. If someone was struggling we would run or swim with them. We often found we each had times when we would struggle, you knew that you were not alone, everyone had been there.
Cheryl and I have done multiple 5 k races in the Madison area, Milwaukee WI and Fargo ND. We have done some ½ marathons and sprint Triathlons. We lived in different parts of the US but communicated how we were training and then would meet up for the event. We have each trained at different gyms and taken different classes. These have all helped us and we of course would go to each other’s gym to workout when we visited each other. It was something we did together.
I was with Cheryl the day she first visited The Warehouse. I could sense that this place was special, it had a good feeling about it. A couple weeks later I was visiting Cheryl and I attended class with her. It was awesome. Not only were the classes great, but the instruction was phenomenal. The encouragement to listen to what your body tells you but to also challenge yourself makes such a difference. The feeling of welcome and encouragement buzzes thru the Warehouse from the instructors to all the members. It is a special place.
I will continue to join classes via Zoom from my home near Madison and look forward to being in person when I visit my sister. Working out helps me challenge myself, feel great and do things with my sister and meet people who enjoy doing things I enjoy.