When Amy and I were in high school in Dallas, we had P.E. everyday, but other than that, we were not a family who exercised. I did the occasional bike ride around our flat neighborhood, but that was about it. But things have changed a lot since then, and I’d like to share my lifelong journey with exercise. Hopefully it will inspire you a bit.
Sometime in high school, Amy joined a workout studio called “The Workout” (yes, very original!) and in my memory she went there a lot. (Amy here: yes, I did go a lot. There were step classes and classes that involved those little trampolines. Frankly it’s a miracle that I never broke my ankle :))
During college, I would occasionally go to the gym to spend time with my friends but there was very little sweating going on and quite a bit of chatting!
When I graduated from college, I moved into an apartment in San Francisco with my friend Pam who was a nurse and taught aerobics classes. Pam really got me started with more structured efforts to exercise. She introduced me to weekly Jazzercise classes, and I would run with her occasionally in the Richmond District of San Francisco.
For one of my birthdays, Pam got me a thong leotard. All the millennials reading this are laughing, but it was quite the thing for a while! I would wear my purple thong over my gray bike shorts. Thank goodness I don’t have any photos but this will give you an idea!
Pam moved to Seattle a couple years later, and Amy moved to SF from NYC. We were living together and we spent a lot of our free time exercising.
We joined a gym downtown and would get up at a crazy early hour of the morning to take the 38 Geary bus to work out before work. (Amy again: it was so early that we would see the prostitutes in the Tenderloin finishing up their business from the previous evening!)
We also hired our aerobics instructor Gay to come to our home for personal training. Gay would bring free weights, bands and a homemade wooden step. I did my first squats and lunges (the first of many!) in the living room of our little apartment.
Amy and I also started running in the Presidio, which led to running a few 5Ks and 10Ks. (Amy again: I remember doing the “Run to the Far Side” 10k a few times. A San Francisco classic! Sadly I don’t think it exists anymore…)
When I moved to Seattle, I continued my fitness journey with a membership at ProRobics on the top of Queen Anne Hill. I have always been a workout class girl vs. working on my own. In Seattle, I discovered Les Mills exercise classes. Les Mills is a New Zealand-based exercise company that delivers choreographed workout routines. If you are a gym goer, you may know BodyStep, BodySpin, BodyPump, BodyAttack, BodyCombat, or BodyFlow. You get the picture- they like the word “Body!!
When my husband and I moved to Edmonds north of Seattle, we joined the local Golds Gym and I became a Les Mills addict! At my peak, I was doing 7-8 classes a week. On Saturdays, I would do BodyPump, followed by BodyCombat. I really got into BodyStep. Yes, I know what some of you are saying – “oh my mom used to do step aerobics in my basement!” But the classes were really effective for me- I worked out a ton, was doing Weight Watchers and lost over 20 pounds.
My good eating habits may fluctuate but my commitment to exercise does not!
Five years ago when we moved to Santa Barbara, I found my gym right away – Uptown Golds. They offered BodyStep, BodyCombat, Spinning and Hi-Lo Aerobics. I was doing BodyStep 2-3 times a week when I first moved to SB. One day I noticed that I was the youngest person in the room by at least 10 years! The Golds Santa Barbara also has a location downtown, where a much younger crowd works out. I switched locations, and it has been nice to be inspired by the younger, more athletic gym-goers at the downtown location.
Before COVID, I had my routine and it very rarely altered. Bootcamp Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Spinning Tuesday, Thursday. Every day at 6am. On the weekends, Barre class on Saturdays and an hour spin class on Sundays. I had a community at the gym and even transitioned some of them to being friends outside the aerobics room.
COVID has required me to shift my lifelong journey with exercise, as it has for many people. During COVID, I foundered a bit but recently went back to my roots with Les Mills. They have all their programs on demand on their app for a flat fee. I was back in the game. Combined with the Peloton app and the Pilates Anywhere app, I am set with exercise options.
Just recently Golds and the Barre studio have reopened, and I have gone a few times. At Barre, you have to reserve a spot and only 12 people are permitted in the class. The instructors sanitize all the weights, mats and balls after each class. I have to say that after 3 ½ months of no Barre, I could barely walk for 3 days after my first class back!
At Golds, you don’t have to sign up but there are very few people in Spin or Bootcamp classes at 6am! You have to clean your equipment before and after class, and you must bring your own towel. There is clear social distancing in place. You do not have to wear a mask if you are “breathing heavy” but if you are in the weight room or doing yoga, you do.
I am lucky that I enjoy exercise and don’t find it too hard to be disciplined. Honestly at 5:30 in the morning I don’t even think about if I will go or not! A big draw for me is the community. My community will text me if I don’t show up for a day or two, and they will often save me spot or start getting me set up with weights before I arrive.
I have friends that have a consistent exercise routine and I have friends that do not. It truly is a personal lifelong journey to exercise.
And Amy recently shared her experiences with her new Peloton in a post…
How has your journey gone over the course of your life? Any changes you have made recently? Share your thoughts in the comments.