Hi. It’s me — the girl you’re probably sick of watching workout clips of on my Instagram. For the past 30-days, I committed, along with Gregg (my fiancé), to follow the Health House Instagram Live workouts every single day. To share our journey, I posted short clips of our workouts on Instagram. Initially, my intentions were along the lines of “shedding for the wedding,” yet after completing this challenge, the benefits have been way beyond fitting into my white dress.
We took before photos, yet our “before” photos happened to be right after we completed a Whole30 (a 30-day clean eating challenge where we eliminated all sugar, processed carbs, dairy, and any other inflammatory foods from our diet) so we had already made some changes to our bodies. I was also already exercising on almost a daily basis, following whatever at-home workouts I could find online.
So, when we made this commitment to exercise for 30 days with Health House, I was skeptical that I would see too many results. However, what I saw at the end of our challenge was surprising. My weight has gone up…and I’m not mad at it. I can tell I’ve definitely gained muscle. I have always hated my stomach (even in middle school, I didn’t hop on the belly-button-piercing bandwagon), but after a month, I’m not walking around in crop tops, but, at the right angle, with just the right lighting, you can see my abs!
Our first workout with Health House named “Kick Your peach emoji” felt BRUTAL. Both Gregg and I were hobbling for the next few days, our legs beyond sore. It made me question just how hard I had been working out prior to this! We were both like, “How the fuck are we going to keep this up?!”
However, while that first week made it seem like the 30 days were going to drag, by week two, it suddenly felt doable. By week three, I craved our daily workouts. And by week four, I knew it wouldn’t end there. Feeling myself getting stronger has been really rewarding. Jon, the owner of Health House, encouraged us to up our weights as we progressed, and in one month, I went from using 7.5 lbs to 12.5 lbs as my “heavy” weights. Along those lines, I can tell my stamina has improved. Burpees, jumping lunges, and a few others moves I previously would have referred to as “insane,” I now can get through without stopping! And classic pushup no longer requires me to drop to my knees after a few reps.
On top of that, it’s amazing what Health House has done for my mental health. Jon encouraged me to do this with Gregg as a couple (#swolmates) and it’s really made this journey special for me. I absolutely love that Gregg and I have an hour every day, that I know we will be spending together, working out, pushing each other to do our best. I’ve always dreamed of a partner I can exercise with, and I thought that since I am a fitness class enthusiast but Gregg was a gym-guy, we would never have that experience. Thank you, quarantine + Health House!
The crew at Health House exudes positive energy and it’s infectious. There are often days where I am feeling pretty down, and this has truly been the one thing I can do, that can flip that switch for me. I hope I’ll one day be able to work out at the Health House studio, yet truthfully, I’ll miss these daily home workouts with Gregg when post-pandemic life resumes. Until then, expect more Instagram posts of my sweaty self coming at you!
