Betsy, her comments about our Body Challenge Boot Camp Program!
Ruth and Wendy – Here’s ‘my story’ and my feedback on Body Challenge.
I was a super skinny kid with zero athletic ability. I was the last one picked for a team and was often bullied for my size. Even though we were an active family, there was no encouragement from home to get involved in sports or to try new things. Weight was never an issue for me, so I tended to avoid exercise because I thought I could never be ‘good’ at it. In my late 30′s, I began to think about my health more and I started walking. In my early 40′s, I noticed a significant decline in my metabolism and stepped up the amount of walking I was doing. Last summer, I realized that just walking was not making a difference, so I found a ‘Couch to 5K’ plan on the internet and decided to try running for the first time in my life. (As a child I was not able to even run the entire mile that was part of the physical fitness tests.) Running interested me because I could do it by myself and I did not have to deal with all the insecurities of my past (and being judged by others). I could also set my own pace and not worry about being the slow kid if I was doing it on my own. In October as the weather started to get colder, I decided to join a gym so I could run inside during the cold months. My friend Twila was a member at VLFC and I really liked the fact that it was an all ladies gym (back to those insecurities) and very economical. When I joined, I also started using the weight machines and progressed to Strive. My friends asked me if I planned to do any of the group exercise activities and I replied with an adamant NO. I read about the BC class but was really only interested in the Sunday option. Sunday is an easy day for me to workout with my schedule, so I liked the idea that this would open the gym up to me when it was typically closed. I knew there was group exercise involved, but after some assurance from Wendy that someone who had NEVER done a group exercise class would be okay, I signed up. Before each Sunday meeting, I was always super anxious and am not sure I would have signed up if I really had known what I was in for. But with lots of support and encouragement from Ruth, I made it through the 5 BC Sunday sessions. I definitely felt awkward and at times I was frustrated, but I managed to stick with it. The great thing for me is that I discovered that there are other things I enjoy doing, even more so then running. A few weeks into the Sunday sessions, I wished I had signed up for the full fledged BC. When the SS BC was announced, I thought it over and chatted with Ruth about participating. Again, her encouragement helped me decide to do it. I also talked to Cindy about participating and her feedback made a big difference as well. The 4 weeks of SS BC were great fun. I looked forward to the classes and actually started to feel a bit more confident in what I am doing. During that time, I also completed my first 10K, a goal I had been working towards since the fall. I still feel like I have a long way to go, but the programs and the encouragement of Ruth and Wendy helped me get over my fear of putting myself out there and trying new things. The support of the other ladies at the gym and in the program was also amazing, and created a very positive and comfortable environment. Thank you to Ruth and Wendy – I appreciate all your encouragement and support – it has made a difference in my life!
Betsy