Marta has been a member of RECF since last fall. She’s a constant ray of sunshine in the gym (and on Zoom) who is quick to smile, always works hard, and is just a joy to have around. A former rugby player, it took a while to find a fitness program that worked for her. We asked her to tell us about her fitness journey at Ripple Effect, and this is what she had to say!
Before RECF, I often felt floaty, and not in a good way. Most days I fought to clear brain fog and fatigue. My body didn’t feel capable or strong like I knew it could, it was kinda squishy/limp. When I was at my peak in-shape level (early 20’s) I set a lot of goals that centered around the appearance of my body. Worrying that I didn’t have a 6-pack took away from my awareness of being able to play an 80 min rugby match. I was so focused on how my arms looked that I couldn’t see the progress I was making in the amount of weight I could lift. When I finally hung-up my boots, I dove straight into cardio 100%, thinking that would help me slim down and tone up. Of course, that’s not how my body works so I eventually stopped working out altogether.
This time around, I’ve focused on feeling healthy. I wanted to regain strength, up my energy levels, and not feel so blah overall. The combination of the RE classes/community and my realistic goals have allowed me to celebrate small achievements. After a 6 am class when I sit down to begin my workday with a smile on my face, I take notice of how good I feel. When I haul huge bags of dog food/composting soil/drywall with ease, I feel pride in my body’s abilities. Instead of focusing on my, still squishy, stomach in the mirror, I amuse myself by flexing my “bulky” arm muscles and wonder if I can causally flex like that the next time a friend tries to take a photo of me. ?
