I’m not an exercise person, but I have friends who are. They try every new gym, and report back…”This one is run by ex Seals and Rangers and we have to crawl with 50 pound sacks of flour on our back and then we learn how to push someone’s nose up into their eye socket in case we are ever attacked. You HAVE to try it!”
As a matter of fact, I was pretty much anti-exercise until I went to my doctor a few years back and she said, for some weird reason after looking at my chart, “You know, you may want to start an exercise program. At your age you need to do an hour of exercise a day just to maintain your weight.” And then she looked at me hard and repeated, “Just to Maintain!”
I was never an athlete. Even as a kid, I was the one who always got the Participation Award, you know the “Good Try Loser” one? I am that woman in the back of the Zumba room who is four steps behind everyone else, tripping over my own feet. I am that woman at the back of the Step Aerobics class who can only use one step and keeps falling over that one, creating a distraction for the rest of the participants. I try to stick to exercise I can do by myself – you know in the privacy of my own home with Netflix playing.
So, I was quite skeptical when my workout fiend friend said, “You have to try this Lagree Fitness workout! It is hard but so good!” And my first thought was “No way”, because you do it on something called a Megaformer. Any form of exercise that involves the word MEGA is probably not for me. Also, you do it with others?! I’ll just stick to my spin bike in my bedroom in front of the fan, thanks.
But after a few weeks we were out on girl’s night and I saw the definition in my friend’s arms as I pulled my lightweight cardigan tighter around my flabby shoulders. And I realized it is going to be hard to keep wearing cardigans in Florida year round. So I thought, “Why not give it a try?”
So I did. And I am addicted.
It is a tough workout and honestly, I am still getting the hang of several of the moves. That being said, I feel great when I leave Studio Physique and I can really tell that each of my muscles has been worked and pushed to its limit. I do what I can to the best of my ability. I have back and knee issues so I modify some exercises to avoid stress to these areas.
Have I poked myself in the eye with the foot-strap? Yes. Have I gotten my toes stuck in the little eyelets where your knees are supposed to go? Yes. But so what? The instructors I have worked with, Angela, David and Chris are patient and kind and realize there is a learning curve. They also keep an eye out to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. It is a welcoming environment with an edge of toughness. You will sweat like crazy. You will think “I can’t hold this pose one more second.” But then you will! You will leave Studio Physique feeling like you have accomplished something amazing, and amazing things will happen.
Already I can see the changes in my body and I feel stronger and more energized. More importantly, I’m going sleeveless this weekend!
Amy Koko has been a Studio Physique Member since the Spring of 2017. Amy is also the author of the humorous memoir, “There’s Been A Change of Plans, A Memoir About Divorce, Dating and Delinquents in Midlife” published in October, 2015, as well as the creator of the blog, Exwifenewlife.com, which deals with life after divorce and how great it can be! She is also a contributor to Huffington Post, Bravo Personal Space and SheSavvy. Amy Koko lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is the mother of four, mostly well-adjusted kids and is currently working on her first fiction novel.