Getting Active, Staying Active, & Fitness Challenges
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Having motivation to wake up at 4am to work out didn’t just happen over night for me. Believe it or not, I used to loathe being physically active and would go to the gym twice a year. I probably have written about this before but my main reason for how I lost so much weight initially in 2019 was because I was depressed. I wasn’t eating proper meals or eating much at all and I eventually started going to the gym to help get my mind off of things.
Fast forward 5 years later and now I workout more frequently with the occasional double class in one day. I feel restless when I don’t move my body and prefer morning workout dates over going to bars. What changed, you ask? My mental mindset. Growing up, I was told directly and indirectly that I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t strong mentally, physically, or emotionally. I had a habit of starting things and never finishing them and that was always brought up when I wanted to change my lifestyle. No one every believed in me, therefore I had to believe in myself. I was my own best friend through hell and I will continue to be my own best friend until I’m put into the ground. I started to see my body get stronger and change and I knew that all of those changes was because of me.
January of 2023 I signed up for a boxing challenge at RowdyBox in Seattle. I used to not be into those kinds of things but my friend who currently goes here convinced me to try it out with her and then realized I wanted to do this to see if I can stay consistent. Yes, I go to cycling classes and hit the gym but it was never on an everyday basis. I knew doing this, I would be paying a pretty penny and would have a limited time to use all the classes they gave me. So I wanted to get my monies worth.
The goal for me was to never lose weight or the number on the scale. It was about feeling stronger, lifting heavier, and feeling powerful in my skin.
First week was hard as shit. I signed myself up for classes 5 days in a row and let me tell you, my body was like what the fuck are you doing? Boxing is a different type of workout and the impact that it had on my body was brutal. Not only are we boxing on the water bag but also doing bench work with weights.
I initially started doing noon classes because I thought maybe I could get away with doing it on my lunch break but parking in that area is such a hassle during that time. So I switched it up to do 6am. Boy, did that make a difference. I’m a morning person already but something about waking up at 5am to workout is not the most exciting thing. But eventually I got used to it.
My fatigue slowly went away after the first few days and started to get acclimated to the workouts. I got the hang of my punches and felt power throwing them. The goal wasn’t just to complete a number of classes but it was also about losing a certain percentage of body fat and gaining muscle. I was determined to hit those goals too. I slowly changed my diet but not too much. Instead I opted to just go a little bit harder and do more classes.
My friends and I tried to coordinate days when we would take class together but some days just didn’t work so I just went alone. I tried to not let that deter me cause I was doing this for myself anyways. Not gonna lie, there were days when I want to give up. Not sure what it was, but I eventually mustered up the courage to get it together and focus on me.
One of the beautiful things about group fitness that I love is feeding off of everyone’s energy. Something about seeing the people around you pushing their limits really gives you have fire to give it your all. Like every coach tells me, “Your neighbor is feeding off of your energy and you need to be feeding off of theirs.” We are all there in the room with the same purpose. There’s no shaming the new comers and we are not comparing ourselves to one another. We are strictly there with the same goal, which is to break a sweat and building stronger versions of ourselves.
Weeks went by and I felt so much stronger than when I first started. My combos got quicker. My punches became powerful. I started hitting PRs. It all started with me adding more weight and listening to my body. I walked into every class having a goal of either adding more weight or doing more reps than the last. We, as humans can do hard things and I’m such a firm believer of that. I started being able to run on the treadmill, which I’ve never attempted to do before! But look at me sprinting like a baby gazelle now!
After all was said and done, the challenge came to an end mid March. I completed 34 classes in roughly 60 days, I did my final in body scan and the results were in. I lost about 10lbs, gained almost 5% of muscle mass and lost 6% of body fat. I was in complete shock. I never had this much of a transformation in this short of time. I was so happy and so damn proud of myself. I couldn’t believe it. And for the first time in a really long time, I felt like such a bad ass. Not only did surpass whatever imaginary goal I had in my brain, but I also picked up some kick ass boxing moves that made me feel like I could probably kick someone’s ass.
Here were some of my little takeaways from the challenge and just overall things that helped me:
Mindset is key.
Rest days are OK. Whether it’s a light active recovery day or stretching/mobility. Listen to your body and let your muscles and mind rest.
Prepping meals and workout clothes so they are ready when you need them helps immensely
Friends- your fitness crew will always have your back and help you stay accountable
Don’t be afraid to make friends with the instructors. They’re there to support you and will help correct your form to prevent injuries.
Build the habit. It’s hard to wake up every day, but pick a time to work out and stick with it. Eventually it will become second nature.
Any movement is better than no movement. Going for a walk is just as good as hitting up a class
Late fees/cancellations really helped me not miss a class. Why would I want to be charged extra for not showing up? Lol
Would I ever do a challenge again? Maybe, if my budget allows because I had to buy a class package for this one in particular. Am I glad I did the challenge? Absolutely, yes. I don’t think my body has ever been so happy and it’s really shown me how much I actually enjoy working out. I’m stronger than I could ever imagine and I’m only getting started. The last few months were hard but I wouldn’t change it. I learned so much about my body and brain. It really gave me the momentum I needed to start training hard.
Everyone is on their own journey and we have to be their to support them however we can. Whether it’s giving them a fist bump during class, a shout out, or a smile when you pass them in the room, that little bit of encouragement and positivity will make their day.