Throughout my life I never worked out much. I went to the gym once or twice a year, my outdoor runs were few and far in between (it was difficult to do a mile!). I would go skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer, but that was about it.
Thanks to my metabolism, I was never chubby - I even had light abs showing from time to time - but I wouldn’t be described as “fit” or “athletic” either. My upper arms were thin, and my face was just okay.
In October 2019, I decided to try my first ever Barry’s Bootcamp class. This was scary for me; I didn’t know the first thing about “going to the gym”. (Post-first-workout, I found myself examining a bottle in the locker room, deciding that it was lotion, rubbing it over my face, only to change my mind and decide that it must be face wash, and discreetly washing it off my face in case I was wrong so that others wouldn’t think I’m weird for washing lotion off my face.)
The first workout felt like death - I struggled to keep 7 MPH on the treadmill, and felt fatigued with the 15lb weights on the floor, but I felt such an intense sense of accomplishment after the class. Little did I know that my body would ache like there’s no tomorrow for the next two days - I considered going to the doctor when I couldn’t extend my arms all the way two days after the workout.
Thanks to the support of my friends who went with me, I kept going back, and as time went on I quickly saw my speeds on the treadmill increase, and my post-workout soreness diminish thanks to better stretching. I was so excited to see my first 11 MPH sprint, followed by my first 12 MPH, and ultimately hitting the fastest 12.5 MPH speed.
From October to December, my Apple Watch showed my resting heart rate dropping by over 10 bpm. Additional workouts combined with my “no-alcohol January” challenge saw my resting heart rate drop below 50 bpm in January. It was encouraging to quantify my fitness accomplishments via the Apple Watch as well as the speeds and weights I was hitting in the Barry’s “Red Room”.
What’s next for me?
I’ve began running daily during the coronavirus quarantine, and I’ve loved seeing my pace and distance gradually increase. I’ve set a goal of coming out of quarantine healthier than I went in, and I have no doubt that I’ll continue to be active on a daily basis. I only wish I had began working out earlier.