My Journey Through Fitness
At the age of six, my sister and I were enrolled in dance classes. However, I struggled with flexibility and endurance. I remember constantly feeling pain in my side, and the stretching was so intense that it made me want to scream. After that, I tried gymnastics, but it just wasn’t for me. The next step was competitive gymnastics, and that was the right choice: the rapid changes in “scenery,” the successes in strength exercises, flips, and team sports brought me immense joy and helped shape my character. At twelve, I spent about a year in track and field, but I didn’t feel like sticking with it.
When I turned fourteen, I discovered shaping, a group fitness activity that truly appealed to me as a young woman. Nothing brings friends together quite like shaping three times a week. Where else could you discuss everything from “Oh, girls! I slipped and ate two pieces of chocolate!” (because at that age, regardless of body type, everyone is trying to lose weight!) to “So you’re saying he tried to kiss you???” Honestly, I don’t remember the results, but I do remember having a blast.
In college, I found a gym. I was probably the only one who worked out regularly and purposefully, regardless of my class schedule. I distinctly remember that I could do more crunches than anyone else and was in great shape.
At nineteen, I got married and lost eight pounds without even trying. By twenty-two, I had my first child. During my pregnancy, I gained eleven pounds, which I easily shed in four months. For the two and a half years I breastfed my daughter, I didn’t gain a single pound, even though it was the only time in my life when I ate incredibly large amounts of everything I desired! I shudder to think about it now, but during that breastfeeding period, I actually ate more than my husband (who is 6’4″ and weighs 205 lbs)! And nothing happened! Those were glorious times…
When my baby was six months old, I returned to shaping. Three months later, I started hydrotonics—shaping in water. Now that was fantastic! It provided a great workout, but the water made it gentler on the body, toning all my muscles and skin thanks to the water itself! However, after six months, I had to stop in the fall because I have ear problems, and water plus cold weather meant ear infections for me. That’s when my creative search began. I was looking for something that wouldn’t depend on the weather, wouldn’t rely on my ability to attend, and would genuinely work.
As soon as I clearly defined this goal in my mind, I stumbled upon a book about bodyflex. It turned out to be the best choice of my entire “fitness” journey! Just fifteen minutes a day—that was the first thing I truly believed in. Over the years, I realized that consistency is key—only what you do every day counts. Working out two or three times a week, combined with irregular attendance and time off for “sickness,” would only push you back to the starting line. That’s why I fell in love with bodyflex right away. The breathing exercises resonated with me, and I was familiar with all those stretches.
Bodyflex combines breathing exercises with stretches (similar to yoga)—specifically, holding your breath while actively stretching certain muscles. After a deep breath, blood and oxygen rush to the muscle you just stretched, speeding up all the necessary processes, particularly burning fat and boosting metabolism. The key is maximum tension during exhalation and complete relaxation during inhalation. It all makes perfect sense. And once you understand HOW it works, you start believing in the results.
Today, I’ve been practicing for three years—now it’s my job and simply a part of my lifestyle. Over time, I’ve never been disappointed with this system; on the contrary, I’ve grown to love it wholeheartedly and continually discover something new, adding my own twists. For instance, I incorporated callanetics (the most unique and varied stretches) and T-Tapp (interesting short exercise complexes targeting different muscle groups independently), which are also effective for working on specific problem areas. I added strength training with dumbbells because my body was “demanding” it.
So, at this point, this blend is my life. And of course, I’m always searching for something new. 😀